Not so much...

Had a very rough time this morning. Couldn't get comfortable on the cushion. Couldn't get my mind quiet. Couldn't keep up the mantra/breathing. It was one of those sessions that cause people to say "I can't meditate" and quit. It was a "mad"itation.
I didn't wake up when I wanted to (which is much earlier than I need to, so it is a total act of will power to get up then). That got me a little ruffled. I rolled over to kiss my wife and after a moment she shrugged me off. Now I should understand that it is REALLY early and she doesn't want to be cuddled. But I don't, I just get offended. I got through my shower O.K. and as I exited into the other bathroom I walked into a spider's web. That never fails to piss me off. I go to feed the dogs and they start fighting. That was the straw. I grabbed my boxer who was aggressing my wiemaraner and shoved her head to the ground while barking "no" into her ear (I am making this sound much less vicious than it was). After we all calmed down I gave her tons of love and apologized, but the damage to her and I had already been done. I was very disappointed with myself.
I took all of this to the cushion. "Mad"itation.
That is, though, what meditation is. It is taking the time to realize that this disharmony is occurring in your head and trying to understand why so you can put an end to it. It isn't always perfectly peaceful, especially when you are not.

On the other side of the coin, I had a good experience yesterday with my 7yr old daughter. She had put herself into a situation where she was doing the wrong thing for the right kind of reasons. I walk in on her "helping" her little sister get undressed. She is doing this by pinning her little sister down and systematically stripping clothes off of the screaming child. When I came in it took her a moment to see me. When she did she jumped because she knew she was in trouble. Here comes the good part. Normally I would have screamed at least and spanked at worst, depending on my mood. Instead I asked her what she was doing. A little firmly but not mean. I listened to her and then explained how her sister probably felt about being pinned down and stripped. She got the point and went on her way. I felt controlled. I felt successful as a father. I had taken a moment of chaos and turned into a moment of learning and love.
I heard her from the other room talking to her mom (my wife, who views my parenting skills as a bit...um...neanderthalic. new word).
She doesn't say, "daddy loves me". She doesn't say, "daddy" handled that really well. She cries,"daddy scared me!"
My eyes cross. My ears get red. Chaos insues.
Back to the drawing board.