A man was once teaching his 10 year old son how to mow the lawn. They had gone up one length of the lawn and the father was just about to instruct his son on how to turn the mower around when he heard the phone ring. He rushed inside to answer the phone - a wrong number! - and when he came outside moments later saw that his son had driven the lawnmower right through the garden bed, destroying some of his beloved plants.
The father's face turned red and he started steaming. He was just about to start screaming at his son when his wife, who had seen the whole episode from the lounge room window, stuck her head out the door and gently called, "Honey, remember, we're raising children, not flowers!"
Source: OzSermonIllustrations, developing an idea found in A Second
Helping of Chicken Soup for the Soul
Applications: parenting, family, children, attitudes, anger, perspective,
priorities, humour, humour