I was sitting at the dining room table, trying to figure out why math had to be so difficult when all of sudden, intense wailing breaks out from beside me. I turned my head and what I saw did not surprise me at all. My five-year-old sister, Allison, was throwing another tantrum. Her arms were flailing beside her body, tears streaming down her face, sweating. I silently observed her for a while. I was wondering what could have possibly made her cry this time. From what I saw, there was nothing to be crying about. Her drawing was perfect, well as perfect as it can be for someone who’s five. I tried recalling everything that had happened that day. Nothing came to mind. It had been a perfectly normal day. Yet here she was, screaming her head off. She had everything she needed, so I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what was wrong. I tried talking to her but that just produced even louder screams. At this point, I was running out of patience. She had been crying for what felt like hours. I tried picking her up, but she would just kick me. Here I was, trying to be a helpful big sister, and all I get in return are some bruises. I had given up on trying to be nice. I pushed through the kicks and took her to her room. I laid with her until she fell asleep. I looked at her and she was so peaceful. Her lips parted, hair pushed back, face relaxed. I couldn’t imagine that this was the same girl that had been annoying the neighbors just five minutes before. When she woke up it was like she was a whole different person. She sat in the corner, playing with her toys, not a care in the world. When I tried asking her what was wrong, she’d turn around and ignore me. I figured that she was just tired. She had maxed out her niceness. She was ready to sleep. 

As important as life can be, sometimes you just need to take a step back. Everyone has a breaking point. It’s better to relax before the tantrum begins. You can try to push through, but eventually, you’ll snap. 

I will never forget what my sister taught me. You need to calm down before you go on with your day. Don’t take on more than you can handle. Rest and relaxation are vital. I had finally realized that some of the most difficult things in life can be fixed with a nap.