Mistakes are Apart of Life

Little seven years old Michelangelo played with the red, blue and green blocks.

"One green one, carefully goes on top…" He muttered softly to himself as he gently and cautiously placed the painted block on top of the ten blocks below. 'Clink' the block went as it touched the one beneath it. Carefully letting go, Mikey went for a red one. His elbow tapped the tower, causing them all to topple to the ground.

"Awww…" Mikey moaned in disappointment as he stared at the blocks littering the floor. He sat there for a minute trying to decide if he should cry or not.

"I worked so hard on that…" Mikey spoke, suddenly angry at the fallen tower. "And you fell over on purpose!"

Mikey picked up a blue block and growled at it.

"You jumped off the tower and made the others fall off!" Mikey accused the poor helpless block.

"You messed up everything!" Mikey threw the block across the living room where it hit the couch with a thump. Taking more painted blocks the little turtle hurled them across the floor.

"Michelangelo, is it really the blocks you're mad at my son?" Splinter asked as he had watched the small child grow angry at the small toys.

"No, Sensei…" Mikey sniffed as he looked up at his father with angry tears shining in his eyes.

"Who are you really mad at?"

"Myself…" Mikey whimpered as he looked down at the colorful blocks.

"Why?" The rat father asked as he moved closer.

"Because, I made them all fall over…"

"What do you think you can do the next time you mess up?" Master Splinter asked as he stood over his youngest son. Mikey looked up at him with blue eyes and didn't answer.

"Maybe next time you mess up you say,' it's okay'." Splinter told the child with loving brown eyes as he looked down at him fondly.

"I'm going to mess up again…?" Mikey asked as he frowned sadly.

"Yes, you are my son." The father told the orange masked turtle as he lowered himself to the little turtle's height. "Every day you're going to mess up, and here's the important part my son. The things you do wrong, help you grow smarter."

Splinter wraps his arms around his youngest son and pulls him close to his heart.

"The mistakes help us learn. Now when you make your tower again, you know not to get too close to it."

Michelangelo nodded as his fingers closed around his hem of his father's clothes.

"And Michelangelo, make as many mistakes as you need, because mistakes are a part of life. Everyone makes mistakes."

"Even you?"

"Especially me." Splinter answered as he looked over at the toys. The blocks placed in random places on the ground remind him of the collapsed wooden house he once had long ago. The scorching flames consuming the building in the night seared through his mind. Then came the image of Tang Shen and Miwa to fill his thoughts.

"Especially me…"