The All-Powerful Mother

“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.”

― Haim G. Ginott, Teacher and Child: A Book for Parents and Teachers

The above quote struck me right between the eyes when a good friend sent it to me a couple of weeks ago. As the mother, I have great power over the climate in my household, and I simply cannot afford to allow myself the luxury of wallowing in self-pity, frustration, resentment, or hurt feelings, or my family will suffer greatly as a result. The quote really says it all, so I won’t say more here. What are your thoughts?