Some Lessons Are Learned Best the Hard Way

I always say that some lessons are learned best the hard way, and I've proven this time and again. The other day, this hard truth smacked me hard in the face again.

My eldest daughter Keisha was asking which club she should join for school, as they are required to join one for the whole school year. Her choices were the Art Club, Math Club, Star Scout, and the Young Readers Club. I wanted for her to join either the Art Club so she could be more adept with arts and drawing, and also the Young Readers Club so that her pronunciation skills could be made even better. Henry wanted her to join the Math Club so that she could become even better at Math (something I am admittedly not), but we both disagreed on the Star Scout Club.

A lot of Keisha's classmates were signing up for the Star Scout, but I seriously did not want her to join that club. I felt that she would only become excessively tired if she did, and I was also worried about the strenuous physical activities they might do. Keisha's really not that athletic, and I guess it's partly our fault because everybody treated her like a baby. She was the first grandchild, and both my parents and Henry's mom was crazy about her.

After explaining to Keisha what each club was about, we all three mutually agreed on the Young Readers Club. Keisha does like reading stories, and she agreed to join the club after learning that they would mostly be doing a lot of reading. I signed her notebook with the corresponding club of our choice using a pencil, as I couldn't find a pen at the time. 

Keisha went home from school the following day and told me she erased the check mark on the club we chose and checked the Star Scout because a lot of her classmates were joining there. I was upset not because joined the club we didn't want her to join the most, but because she went behind our back and erased my signature.

I was very mad and hurt for what Keisha did, and although we got everything resolved by night time, I was left with a shocking truth - what Keisha did was very minor compared to the heartaches I caused my parents. I had a hard time imagining how hurt they must have been when I got pregnant and married early. And as I always say, some lessons are learned best the hard way.