“Life is a compound of bitter and sweet, and to expect it to be all of either is futile.”

(Alice H. Rice)

The same week we first published ScreamFree Parenting, my wife Jenny got diagnosed with cancer.

The same month our work with Army families began to expand all over the world, our advisor who first championed that outreach passed away.

Misfortune and victory seem to always accompany each other. You know this in your own life, I’m sure. So why do we feel it necessary to pretend it’s otherwise? Why do we try to show our kids the good stuff, but protect them from the reality of the bad?

Truth is, they don’t believe us when we do. This is why they love stories so much. Fairy tales have both the bitter and the sweet. In theater, the tragedy and comedy masks are right next to each other. Mustafa must die in order for Simba to become a great king.

Here’s the great news: While the bad always accompanies the good, the light still shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Peace begins with pause,