How many problems can you handle in a single day? Well, you tell me – “It depends on how life is treating me at the time. And it depends on if the problems are major or minor. If life in general is good, I can handle a whole bunch of small problems. Just don’t mess with the basics!”

I have always loved Mulberry trees – mostly for its sweet berries. I remember playing in a park with my grandson last August. It was a hot day and he had wandered under the shade of a big tree. Ah – the coolness of the shade! Suddenly my 2 year old grandson put something in his mouth from the ground. Of course, as a good grandfather, I ran over and dug my finger into his mouth, trying to get it out. What would my daughter say if he got sick! Like a good little 2 year-old who had just found the source of eternal sweetness, he clamped his little teeth down hard and gave me that impish look that said, “Good luck Grandpa!” Before long I saw dark purple juice running down his chin & onto his t-shirt. Now I really would be in trouble! I wasn’t going to get anything out of his mouth! I had just managed to stain his t-shirt!

For some crazy reason, I looked down to see what he could have put into his mouth. Juicy red and black berries covered the ground. I looked up at a Mulberry Tree covered with ripe berries – jackpot!!! For the next half hour grandpa and grandson packed into our mouths so many berries we were sure to have stomach aches. I looked at my grandson – his hands, lips and tongue were all stained the same purple as his t-shirt. Real trouble!! But life was good for a 2 year old and his happy grandpa! Let my daughter complain about the shirt and even blame me for his stomach ache. My grandson and I were co-conspirators of a deliciously wonderful afternoon in the park, and no one could ever take that memory away from me!

Do our homes provide an environment of safety that our children can survive their relatively insignificant problems? If they stain the favorite t-shirt, will they be alive in 12 hours? If they come home with a bad grade because they didn’t study at all, do they need to hide till they can escape to school the next day? Our children can handle most problems if they’re loved.

None of us are perfect as individuals – nor are our marriages perfect.  As we work together to maintain our love and a strong marriage, our homes will be a good environment for growing and happy children.