Every year we have an Easter egg hunt at my church. Last year my son, who was three at the time, was really excited for it. But as the other kids started running to collect eggs, my son froze. He was overwhelmed by the moment.

I encouraged him to get started but he refused. I tried to push a little harder, telling him how fun it would be, but that only made matters worse. He turned around, threw his Easter basket at me, then threw himself on the grass and started crying.

With that in mind, I had zero expectations for this year’s hunt. If there’s one thing I’ve learned with that boy it’s that nothing good comes when I try to push him.

But today he was a champ. When the kids were allowed to collect eggs, he took off sprinting with excitement. A few minutes later his basket was overflowing. He absolutely loved it. He’d come a long way from last year’s egg hunt.

One of the joys of being a parent is watching my kids develop. I love seeing them overcome challenges that were once too difficult to handle.

I am grateful I get to watch my kids grow.

#30daysofgratitude