Broken bowl... and whole parenting

This morning, my son spilled his bottle of juice all over the table. We were running late and I had to be at a local TV station to promote a charity event; somehow, I kept my cool, tossed him a towel, and helped him clean it up. 

"We all make mistakes," I said. 

And it's a good thing I said that, because not two minutes later, I dropped a bowl and it shattered all over the kitchen floor. What can you do at that point but sweep it up and move on, right? 

I haven't always been patient with him when messes happen, and I certainly haven't ever been a perfect parent. But when there is a small victory like that, when I can stay calm, I can remind myself that I'm doing a good job. With parenting, there is no formal assessment or annual review with a bonus; there is only the small moments day to day. 

Shattered bowl ----> whole parenting. I'll take it.