Too Close to Quarrel

They say that the children in most families fight some. I kept reminding myself of this as our family was enduring a particularly long and tense period of quarreling among our four children.

I was nearly at my wits’ end, because none of my “tactics” seemed successful until one day I was reminded of a friend whose children seemed to discuss problems instead of fight about them. The parents almost always put an arm around the children when they came with a problem or a question. It’s difficult to feel hostile when you have your arm around the little one (or big one). Perhaps it’s the arm, and not the question, that is of greatest importance.

Since using this gesture of love with our family, we’ve seen the windows of heaven gradually open wider and wider into our home. Don’t give up. Give love. Karen Mergeler, Laguna Hills, California