Mulish

Today the kids and I visited a living historical farm. We learned all kinds of interesting things, but one item stood out to me.

The animal in this picture is named Janie. You can't tell, but she's a mule. The young man that showed us the barns and animals taught us that mules are smarter than horses. Horses will continue working, regardless of the heat or their health and well-being. But mules understand when they have done too much or when it's too hot, and they will stop working. He told us that they like to have a mule work with the horses because the mule will let the farmers know when the animals need a break.

After he finished telling us all this, I asked, "So what you're saying is, when we talk about the stubbornness of mules..." And I stopped, not sure how to finish.

"Yes," he answered, "it's because they're being smart."

Now, I know that human obstinacy does not always come from a place of intelligence, but this information is good for me to think on. We have a house full of shockingly strong-willed people. I think perhaps I need to do a better job of taking a step back from my own stubbornness and seeing the situation from the other side. Maybe, occasionally, that tenacious tendency comes from a place of self-preservation and protection. In fact, without much effort, I can think of a few times when that has been the case in our family.

So the next time someone calls you "stubborn as a mule," say thank you.