It was late at night and Samantha and Ronald were in the middle of an argument. It had started out as a playful teasing but soon escalated into a full-blown debate about who was worse - men or women.
Ronald was adamant that men were better because they were stronger physically and we plant life. Samantha countered that women were better because they had better communication skills and walks around with your plant for nine months plus we’re more intuitive.
As they went back and forth their newborn baby Tommy began to stir. Samantha shushed Ronald trying to get him to be quiet so Tommy could go back to sleep. Ronald continued to argue but was quickly silenced by Tommy's unexpected interruption.
"Mama Dada," Tommy said looking up at them with big eyes. "You're both silly. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman what matters is how you treat others. And right now you're not treating me very well. I'm trying to sleep so can you please be quiet?"
Samantha and Ronald were stunned. They had never heard their baby speak so clearly before. They looked at each other then back at Tommy who had already closed his eyes and gone back to sleep.
Silent and humbled they sat next to each lost in thought. In that moment they realized that their little boy had given them the answer they were looking for - it wasn't about who was better it was about being kind and compassionate to each other and those around you.
As they looked down at their peaceful sleeping son they knew that they would do everything in their power to raise him to be a good person - one who would never argue about something so trivial again.