The Doberman vs. The Panther
There is a story of an old Doberman who got lost while chasing a rabbit. As he was trying to get his bearings he noticed a panther running towards him, licking his lips, anticipating a Doberman lunch. This old dog realized that he needed to act quickly.
He saw some bones lying on the ground so he stopped and began chewing on them with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the panther was about to leap, the old Doberman shouted, “Boy, that was one delicious panther! I wonder, if there are any more around here?”
Hearing this, the young panther halted his attack in mid-air, a look of terror came over him, and he ran from the old Doberman until he reached some trees where he could hide. ”That was close!” he said to himself, “That old Doberman nearly had me!”
A squirrel had been watching all the action from a nearby tree and he figured he could trade this knowledge for protection. He hurried to the panther.
The squirrel told the panther everything that happened and together they formed a partnership. Obviously the young panther was furious and said to his new friend, “hop on and see what’s going to happen to that conniving canine!”
The old Doberman saw the panther running back towards him with the squirrel riding on his back. He acted quickly and once again he decided sit down with his back towards his attackers, pretending he hadn’t seen them. Just when they got close enough to hear, the wise old Doberman said, “Where’s that squirrel? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another panther!”
This Doberman knew his survival depended on the skills he developed, which in his case it was a strong intellect. All our children will face challenges but like the Doberman the key to overcoming them is recognizing them and taking control through preparation, planning, knowing their strengths, and believing in themselves.
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Anne's Corner
The quick witted twists and turns in this story are a great example of finding humor through a change of perspective. When life gets tough and things are tense, start with yourself and set an example of changing your perspective on your own situation. Has everything gone impossibly wrong today? Instead of moaning and groaning, light heartedly take your experience to the extreme; tell your kids the story as if it were an old Seinfeld episode. Laugh at the craziness of life. As I was growing up, when something would go wrong, my dad would say, “Did anyone get killed? Did anyone get permanently maimed? If not, then it’s going to make a great story someday!” Why not today? Teaching your children to find the humor in life and laughing together will draw you closer as a family and help them be more resilient no matter what they face.
Anne's Corner
The quick witted twists and turns in this story are a great example of finding humor through a change of perspective. When life gets tough and things are tense, start with yourself and set an example of changing your perspective on your own situation. Has everything gone impossibly wrong today? Instead of moaning and groaning, light heartedly take your experience to the extreme; tell your kids the story as if it were an old Seinfeld episode. Laugh at the craziness of life. As I was growing up, when something would go wrong, my dad would say, “Did anyone get killed? Did anyone get permanently maimed? If not, then it’s going to make a great story someday!” Why not today? Teaching your children to find the humor in life and laughing together will draw you closer as a family and help them be more resilient no matter what they face. 