Just a Child

I whacked my niece today. She was screaming uncontrollably and wanted her way, so I caned her. Actually she had been quite good over the past 8 days, didn't cry nor scream in the mornings and even got a small treat from me for commendable behaviour. However, she forgot and started to throw her tantrum today. So she got spanked and nobody could come to her rescue; her parents were at work and I insisted that my mom stay out of the scene while I was disciplining her.

Aha.

It worked. After two whipings she stopped crying. (And put on a pitiful look). Well, that didn't work on me (much) and she was promptly sent off to dress for kindergarten. Ten minutes later, she was all dressed, friendly and chatty again.

The wonderful thing about kids is that they can forget their misgivings so easily. Spank them, they'll cry. Then they would forget and life would go on. And they will come back to ask you to play with them.

Have we as adults lost that childlike quality?

God, no matter how much I think I have grown, remind me that I am but a child in Your eyes.