Casualty

This is what happens to a Slinky when two children want it and both refuse to let go. Of course it was ruined for good and had to be thrown away. I tried to make it a teachable moment for my children. Without compromise, we often end up in a situation where both parties are unhappy. Had one child agreed to have a turn after the other, the slinky would still be intact. But no -- the principles of Who Had It First vs. Who Owns It vs. Who Had Been *Planning* to Play With It First vs. Who Had the Better Idea for What to Do With It seemed too important when the slinky still had value.

It occurs to me that children aren't the only ones who need to learn this lesson. We all sometimes make matters worse by focusing on ego-driven factors. Unfortunately, we adults sometimes break hearts and lives instead of toys. And sometimes we even start wars that break a heck of a lot more than we can ever repair or replace.