The circus was in town and I queued with my two young children to buy tickets. They sold out just before we got to the front of the queue.
My eight year old son was distraught with disappointment, he couldn't believe they didn't have anymore tickets. The tears started to flow and he refused to move from the spot. I was upset that he was upset and the lovely day I had planned was fast evaporating fast.
I had a football in the car, we were in a nice green space and there was an ice-cream van nearby so I said to him he could stay there and be miserable or we could go somewhere else and have some fun. It took a few seconds for him to understand but the tears stopped and he chose to have fun.
Sometimes, even as an adult, when a situation changes, we can get stuck in 'what could have been' instead of accepting 'what is' and moving on. Wherever you are in life there are always opportunities and options. The power is in your hands to let go of the past and make the choices for your future.
It was a great lesson for him to learn at an early age and in his teenage years I heard him say the exact same words to a friend.