The Princess and the Hot Dog Bun: A Short Story About Choosing Your Battles
Once upon a time, there was a little princess who was three years old. Let’s call her Princess Lulah. She lived with her brothers and sisters, her daddy, The King, and her mommy, the Mean Queen, whom we’ll call Moi.
One morning, Princess Lulah woke up and went into the kitchen, where her mommy, Moi, was preparing lunches for her children to take to school. Lulah spied something on the kitchen counter.
“I want that for breakfast,” she said to her mommy, pointing to the package.
“You can’t have that for breakfast! Those are hot dog buns!” Moi replied.
“But I want one!” Princess Lulah said.
“No, absolutely not,” said Moi.
“But I want one!” insisted the little Princess, stamping her pretty little princess foot.
“Hot dog buns are NOT for breakfast. You may have cereal or waffles. Which will it be?” asked Moi.
“I want THAT!” demanded Princess Lulah.
Moi opened her mouth to sternly repeat to the little Princess that she could not have a hot dog bun for breakfast…and then suddenly, I—er, Moi—realized, “What’s the big deal? Why can’t she have a hot dog bun for breakfast? It’s whole wheat, and really no different than toast after all.”
So she let Princess Lulah have a hot dog bun for breakfast. And sunshine poured in through the windows, a dazzling rainbow appeared right over their very house, and the angels sang. And Moi lived in peace and harmony with her children from that day forward.
Okay, that last part? Not really. But the rest? I’m just saying.
Lisa is a forty-something SAHM to six children, including two gifted, a pair of twins, a precocious pre-schooler, and a toddler with Down syndrome. She is married to her best friend, a brilliant attorney, talented musician, and cancer survivor.
