Cute And Heartbreaking At The Same Time

Here's a little story that I need to save for my posterity:

The other evening, Bronson was being super rowdy. When that happens, David's "punishment" is to make the kids run around our cul-de-sac to burn off some energy.  It's a great, win-win situation because the boys love to run, plus they are removed from the situation that got them in trouble in the first place, and they tire themselves out so they're not so crazy when they come back inside.  So, when Bronson was in "monster mode" and repeatedly making his little brother cry, Dave said, "Let's go.  You need to run some laps."  They went outside.

After a few minutes, David and Bronson came back in the house.  Both of them were steaming mad.  David told me, "Bronson is grounded from his tablet tomorrow because he wouldn't run."  That seemed strange to me because Bronson usually likes to run.  Dave said, "He just laid down on the ground!  I told him if he didn't do it, I was going to take away his tablet tomorrow, and he just said, 'Then take it away!'."

Meanwhile, Bronson came in my room, every bit as frustrated and angry as his dad.  He started yelling at his dad (and part of the problem here is that David doesn't always understand what Bronny's saying because of his impaired speech) "Dad!  How do I do it?  Do you want me to run on your lap?!?!  Where is my lap!?!?!"  Suddenly, it became very clear to me (and also to David, once I translated Bronson's questions) that Bronson simply didn't understand what he was supposed to do.  David told him to run a couple of laps.  Bronson thinks a lap is something you sit on.  He was lying on the ground because he was trying to run on his lap!

Bronson wanted you to see how he tried to run on his lap.

I explained that a lap is one time around our circle.  Bronson said, "Oh!  Yeah, I can do that!"  He and his dad went back outside where he happily ran a couple of laps and came back in.  Of course, he wasn't grounded from his tablet the next day and everyone was happy.

Thinking about Bronson and David's communication frustration makes me cry a little bit!  David was thinking, "Why doesn't he just do what I asked?" and Bronson was thinking, "I'm doing what he asked!"  How many times do I get angry with my children because they aren't doing what I want them to do, not knowing that they would gladly do whatever I wanted if they only understood what it was!  And how many times do I over-complicate, misunderstand, and therefore get frustrated with the tasks of my life.  Oh how much I need to learn!  How far I have to go!  How patient Heavenly Father has to be with me!  I'm probably lying on the ground trying to run on my lap while He watches and thinks, "Not THAT kind of lap, Kell!"