The Wonderful "Bad" Fishing Day

"This is a bad fishing day. It's cold, and I haven't caught anything. But I'm so glad you brought me!"
These were the words my son uttered to me last weekend as we sat next to one another on the fishing dock at Lake Lansing.
It was windy, and it was cold. I was wearing jeans and a sweater, and still I thought I should've had a jacket, too! To be honest, I was on the verge of miserable as the wind whipped past my ears, and I glanced at my watch wondering if it "was time" to leave yet.

And the fishing?
Was pitiful.
Just a few days prior to this one, I had also taken Joshua fishing and he caught a huge bass. Seriously. I could have put my whole fist in the mouth of that fish. ("Could have" would be the operative words in that sentence. I didn't really do it!)
On that day, it was like the bass was playing games with Joshua - showing up to nibble and then darting away, until he finally hooked the big guy. And I, by the way, landed it. (That means I scooped it up with the net. New fishing term Joshua taught me, and now I feel cool using it. *grin*)
Indeed, that day the fishing was fun! But this weekend, you might have thought there were no fish in the lake at all. The only nibble Joshua got was from a duck who was being too nosy.
I was afraid my tends-to-focus-on-the-negative-side-of-things son was going to be sorely disappointed with the trip, and would bring home a bad attitude rather than a good fishing story.
I was afraid his sour attitude would poison the rest of the family.
I was afraid I would regret taking him fishing.

I was afraid, because we've been through that scene so many times before.

But Joshua surprised me.
He acknowledged the negative part of the day, but he said he was so glad I brought him! This boy - the one who I thought never listens to me when I try to show him how to look for the bright side of things - saw a positive in spite of the negative.
I wasn't expecting that.
All of a sudden I was infused with hope. In that instant I thought maybe, just maybe, perseverance was beginning to pay off. I wondered at the possibility that my son may be listening after all.
And all of a sudden, that bad fishing day became wonderful in my book.

Hopeful mom here, encouraging you to watch for your children to surprise you today!