We were blessed to have our family with us for the Easter weekend. As we sat around the living room visiting, our two year old granddaughter spotted the little candy dish on the coffee table and approached it with widening eyes. My wife proclaimed to the room that the dish was filled with carrot cake M&M’s.
I quickly announced to no one in particular, “Those things are really gross!” Immediately my granddaughter turned and walked away from the candy dish. As I watched her reaction, I realized the power of my words and the message I had sent to her.
I told her I was really sorry and said that she should try one because she might like them. I said that Boppa didn’t like them but that didn’t mean that she would think they were gross. She came back to the candy dish and picked it up. Rather than take a piece for herself she went around to everyone else in the room and offered one to them.
As she offered them to the adults even some of them were put off by my words. In an effort to get them to try them she sang a song from one of her tv heroes, Daniel Tiger, who sings, “You gotta try new foods ‘cause they might taste good!” She wouldn’t try them herself but she was really encouraging everyone else to give them a shot.
When she got to her mom she tried one. She said the M&M’s were really good and encouraged her daughter to try one. She did and she liked them!
Proclaiming carrot cake M&M’s to be gross is a minor faux pas in my role as a grandfather. However, what if I say to her someday, “You’re not old enough to ride a bike” or “You can’t do that! You’re a girl.” She walked away from the M&M’s based on what I said. What else will she walk away from based on what she hears me or someone else say?
What have you walked away from all your life because of a message you received as a child? What is something you won’t try because of a message you heard as an adult? We are all susceptible to messages and their power at any age.
It takes courage to ignore the messages we’ve received in our lives. Some messages do have merit but many of the ones we hang on to don’t!
In the paraphrased words of Daniel Tiger, “You gotta try new things ‘cause you might be good!”
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
This post originally ran on May 1, 2014.
