letting it go

my boys were playing with hot wheels the other day. they were driving them around on the floor. all three of them. pushing them as fast as they would go over the hard floors. it was crazy and loud. i never understand some things that little boys do, and this is one of them. not that i don't get cars, it's just that i was always bored with driving them around.

anyway, chilly pushed his car and it zoomed right under the stove. all the way to the wall. crying ensued, even though, we have about a billion of these cars. big brother came to the rescue.

harry found a flashlight, and peered under the stove. he sat there for a good 5 minutes before his plan worked through in his head. it was all very entertaining to watch. then he was up and getting the tools necessary for the car's retrieval.

except it wasn't so easy. there is a lip of where the pergo floor doesn't cover the sub floor next to the back wall. conveniently the car had landed there and was stuck. harry tried everything, from broom handles to mop handles to his own skinny arms. he took out the broiler drawer and tried to delicately stick his arm back there to retrieve the car. i sat back and watched the whole thing. well, i wasn't sitting, i was busy.

there was a problem though, i had to leave to get to a meeting, and they hadn't got the car yet. but i had to go, and they had to go with me (curse you off track school!). so it was to the church we go. after a lengthy meeting in which all the boys were deathly bored, we got home. and plan b was in place and going.

more tools and more cursing. (yes, cursing). more tears of upset as still they couldn't reach the car, nor push it anywhere. chilly gave up and was happy finding another car. then he wanted his brother to give up and play with him.

harry couldn't leave it alone. he kept at it. i was curious to how long he would keep it up, so i just held back and watched. tears and cursing. frustration. anger. lots of yelling. then he became desperate and pleading. finally after 4 hours of working hard to get this car from under the stove, he finally gave up. he put the brooms and mops away. he stormed off saying "I GIVE UP!" and was mean to everyone around him for the rest of the day.

of course it was still on his mind. and it still is today. he keeps wondering how he can get that little car out from under the stove. it's eating him up inside. he is moody and grumpy and unwilling to do anything. while chilly, has completely forgot about and is happy playing whatever they are playing with today.

there are so many little hot wheels stuck under stoves in our lives. little wrongs that we cannot make right. but we try and work and wear ourselves out. why do we want to make other people miserable when something that is out of our reach bothers us? when in reality we would be happy and content if we would just forget and move on. so that is my new plan. i'm going to try really hard to let those small things rest. what do i gain to be all worked up over a little car stuck under the stove? i need to learn to just let it go. and really, harry needs to learn it too, and quick!