Growing up, when ever I would use the phrase “I can not” as it related to doing something, or not doing something, my mom especially would correct me. She always pointed out that I could do anything that I put my mind to and that I could be successful, if I just tried.

Last week, Boy A was bound and determined to button his shirt and zip up his own jacket, but he was really struggling with the holes on his shirt and pushing the button through. I offered to help and show him, but he was determined to do it on his on, but then he got frustrated and stopped and said “I can not do it”. I looked at him and smiled, just as my mother did to me and I told him the same thing, that he could do anything that he put his mind to it and that together we were going to work together on him learning how to button his shirt.

So, I buttoned the top and bottom button for him and showed him how to find the hole with one hand and slide the button through with the other. And then, he did it. He did it on the first time and he said that he could button his own shirt and he was so happy. He was beyond excited and proud of himself and so was I.

Growing up, I was always told that I could do anything that I put my mind to and I remember both of my parents saying that to me, right before I departed out on my own to Texas. And I didn’t understand it fully until I had been there for a few months and then it hit me, I did it. Sure, there were times that I would say “I can not stay here or do this on my own” and then something would happen and I would realize that I could do it and that I learned a lesson while doing it. And I hope that my son learned a little lesson while trying to button his shirt, sure it can be tricky, but so is life. Life is going to always through challenges, but it is how we deal with it and there are times that we just have to say I can and figure out ways to overcome obstacles.