White Christmas 2009: X

Teachable Moments
A mailbox under the car. A distraught woman ringing the doorbell. Kristin, driving by this scene with the girls in the car, used it as teaching moment. “Look Isabelle. That woman made a mistake but she’s taking responsibility. She didn’t just drive off after hitting that mailbox.” Ahhh, the power of a teachable moment. Fast forward only 8 days. Kristin is pulling out of the Hoskyn’s driveway when her 2000 lb. car slightly nudges the 5 lb mailbox. It was only a nudge but it was enough to leave the mailbox limp and listing. Isabelle, who was in the car at the time of the nudge, could only contain her silence for so long. “Mom,” she said with some trepidation the next day, “when are you going to tell Mrs. Hoskyn about the mailbox?” It was only a nudge, explained Kristin. It didn’t fall over. It didn’t end up under the car. No big deal, right? The United States Postal Service did not agree. The mailman left a note the next day that read “Fix or get a new mailbox.” And, we are sure, silently repeated his mantra: Ahhh, the power of a teachable moment. Epilogue: Brad replaced the mailbox. Kristin is no longer allowed in their driveway. And Isabelle, we are certain, has not learned a thing from all this.