Lessons From The Laundry Room

I was thinking about some stuff earlier while folding laundry with two wild, little men "helping" me. I have my neat, little, perfect way of folding towels. It's the way Mother did it and the way she taught me and I still do it that way. I had my nice stack going of my perfectly folded towels when Ryan grabbed the last one and announced that he could do it. I watched him lay it down, fuss around trying to get it flat (all the while stepping all over it), and work to get it "folded". He proudly picked it up and laid it on top of my stack. It was all balled up with the corners not matching or anything. Instinctively, I picked it up because I was going to fix it to MY way. After I'd grabbed it, I looked at Ryan. He was staring at me with a sad little look on his beautiful face and he said "did I do it wrong Mommy?". My heart broke. What message was I about to send my little man? He had tried his best. Was I going to tell him that it wasn't good enough...all over a stupid bath towel? Moments like these always make me stand back and think. I put the towel back on top of my pile just the way he had laid it down and I said "you didn't do anything wrong, you just did it differently than I do it, but I like your way, too." His face lit up. I hadn't crushed his little self esteem, in fact I lifted him up. All over a crazy bath towel. Who cares. I don't think I'll ever fuss over the way I fold towels ever again, and I'm just fine with that!