Raising children in a house full of animals is a delicate balancing act. The members of the Shoup clan work really hard to ensure the safety of all our residents. A clumsy fall requires an apology, dogs are off limits during eating times and cats cannot be picked up without adult supervision. In turn, the animals do not share a bed with KIC ever, we are mindful during K's mealtimes and dogs must clear the stairs before KIC starts her descent. We are extremely safety conscious and work diligently to prevent injuries and incidents.
Recently, however, there was an incident and KIC was bitten by one of our own dogs...in the face. We aren't sure what happened other than the dog was asleep and a sleepy KIC tried to occupy the same space. The dog was disciplined by KIC in a way KIC could relate to: "No thank you, {insert name of dog here}. That's not very nice.". The damage itself was certainly not as bad as you might expect, but the healing, even with constant ice, makes this momma's heart hurt.
Last night, I asked KIC if she was still mad at the dog. She said no she wasn't and that she realized it was an accident. She said she was happy that she gets to feed the dog now and that the dog was still her friend. She said she loves the dog and she was sorry she scared the dog and reiterated that she wasn't mad.
In am not sure why I never thought about what I could learn from my child, but forgiveness was definitely not on the list of things I thought I'd learn. This is just another reminder of what a gift KIC is and how I still have so much to learn from her. Though, if the universe is listening, I prefer my lessons without the side of dog bite. Thanks.
