March 8

I'm not entirely sure how it happens, but Brady always seems to wind up with huge knots in his shoelaces. And after school today, he asked me to disentangle one of said-knots for him when we arrived at the park. So that's what I did.

It was a long, arduous process that involved the use of several different fingernails and more than a few changes of foot position. More than once, I wanted to throw in the towel and tell him to just deal with the loose laces. But I persevered, and eventually, the last knot gave way and I finished the task with a flourish.

Facing challenges in this life can definitely be like untying a knotted shoelace: frustrating and time-consuming. But the satisfaction that results when we finally accomplish something big? It really does make the effort worthwhile. And for those moments of satisfaction that follow the storms, I'm grateful.