I’m not talkin’ steps like in AA, or any other kind of self-help, get better thing……although it WAS kind of a self-help…..for me!

For my sanity.

I’m talkin’ about the 13 steps leading from our living room to the upstairs bedrooms in our Michigan house where I was attempting to raise four daughters.

There were 13 steps to get from the living room to the upstairs.

Those steps were used for numerous different reasons.  

I piled things on them that needed to make the trip up.

I assigned each girl a step and they were responsible for taking care of the things on it.

I taught my giggly little girls how to play “putt-putt” on those steps, like my mom had taught me on ours.  

Wrapped them up safely in a quilt and sat them down on the top step, gave them a little push and down they went, putt-putt on each step.  

I suppose in today’s world that would NOT be a good thing for a mom to do but in MY time, my girls loved putt-putt AND so did my nieces and nephews!

But mostly, those steps served a purpose for problems when there were no immediate answers without making myself crazy.  

How do you decide WHO’S lying and WHO’S telling the truth when two little girls come running inside crying with two different stories?

Oh, I usually had a good idea BUT…..that’s not fair!

So…..what did I do?

I sent them to the top of those 13 steps and told them they had to sit there until they turned 18 years old.

The only way they could leave earlier was to get to the bottom step and the only way to the bottom step was through kindness to each other.

Each time they said something nice to each other, gave a hug or a kiss, they could both go down one step. 

It took 13 actions to get to the bottom and then they could leave and go back outside and play.

Depending on the combination of the two, it could take quite a while.

I’m not sayin’ WHO but one of them was quite the bullhead so she had to be sitting there with one of the easier ones or, their step visit was gonna be long.

But, it only took ONE break-thru and they were on their way down.

Usually by the time they hit the bottom step, they were laughing pretty hard, headed out the door as BFF’s and both hated my guts!

I think about those step times, wonder if they knew I was listening and laughing to myself in the next room as they made they descent.

It was a problem so easily solved.

In today’s vile world…..in our own hateful country…..I wonder.

Could we all meet somewhere?

Is there steps enough?

Could we say something nice to each other?

Hug?

Smile?

Laugh?

Get to the bottom step and move on in friendship?

Let me go first…..

I can like you, no matter what your political preference is.

Your turn.