Doing the Impossible

Posted on by Wynne Leon

This past weekend we were packing up to leave the vacation place we stayed at for two weeks. My nine-year-old daughter, Miss O, was helping my friend, Eric, put the rubber raft away. He’d purchased the raft for this trip so he had the original box.

After deflating it, they rolled it up and then Eric said to Miss O, “It’s never going to fit back in that box.”

And Miss O retorted, “Not with that attitude. Let’s be like Mommy and at least give it a try.”

And when I asked if it fit, she replied, “It would have but when he thought I wasn’t looking, he went and put the pump into the box first.”

She recounted this story to me at bedtime the night before we left. Eric must have heard her voice (and my laughter) float down from the bedroom. When I came down after closing the door he laughingly said, “For the record, it was never going to fit back into the box.”

We’ve been giggling about this for days. Impossible tasks. Bad attitudes. Kids who are paying attention and trying to apply knowledge to the situations in life.

What impossible thing are you going to do today…with a good attitude, of course?

P.S. I think Miss O was right. It would have fit. 🙂

38 thoughts on “Doing the Impossible”

  1. this had me spit out my coffee! she is smart and hilarious, both! you are clearly a great model for her and are teaching her life lessons by example. so funny and glad that you and Joe both laughed as much as I did. I’m going to work with a little boy who was in my class, and we always have a fun time, so he doesn’t even know he’s learning. or maybe he does, and the joke is on me. )

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  2. Miss O is an amazing person — not just child. She might win the Nobel Prize before she is 20. Keep the box.The Prize needs to be put in a safe place!

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      1. Lol. I love it. Reminds me of when my third child was born. After a few months, my eldest asked if I still had room in my tummy to put him back.

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  4. Oh this is too funny! 😆 And I love that Miss O has that positive attitude and mindset. Wonderful parenting, Wynne.

    I have to say, I hate packing stuff back into the box too and would likely have been an Eric in this situation too. 😆

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    1. Thank you, Ab! And not to split hairs, but don’t you think there’s a difference between hating to put it back into the box and believing that it won’t fit? 🙂 I am unlikely to spend the time to get it back into the box — even if I believe it COULD happen.

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      1. Speaking from experience, there might be a moment or two ahead where you’ll want to parrot her glowing praise of YOU back to her. Ah yes, I remember it well…the fabulous endorsement during the summer of 2024. 😜🥰😜

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  7. Haha what a great story Wynne. I do think Miss O is right, attitude is half the battle. What a girl! I do also sympathize with Eric, I have had a hard time getting things back into boxes. The way they do it at the factory can’t be beat.

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    1. I’m laughing about the factory part. You’re right – it’s hard to replicate that. And I’d be challenged to take the time necessary to make it fit. But as you say, attitude is half the battle so we know we could try, right?

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  9. Miss O is right-what is taken out of a box should fit back into a box. She would likely agree that “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!” Miss O is a delight with a wonderfully mature attitude. 🙂

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  11. Ha ha. That’s a great story, Wynne. I love the “you have to at least try” attitude. Later this week, I’ll be trying something I always swore I’d never do…driving in Ireland. We broke down and rented a car for the time we’re spending in the remote areas where my mother’s family live. I’m dreading it but I’ll just keep repeating the mantra “keep left…keep left….keep left” and hope for the best. LOL

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  14. The fact that Miss O thought it was possible speaks volumes on your parenting! I love this. Fitting things back into a box depends on how much time and attention you want to give it. Some days it will, others it won’t because we don’t want to invest in the thought process to get it back in the box. I on the other hand, will NEVER fit back in the box. 😉 Just so impressed with this young person and her parent.

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