It has been brought to my attention that in the opinion of one of the children, our family is experiencing relational challenges. We had a lengthy discussion about it, even brainstorming some ideas about how to address these challenges. An idea came to mind, and I decided to see how it would fly.

In the next bedroom, I suggested to my "tweener"-aged daughter that she and her sister might sit and talk somewhere, sometime, privately. "I'm just thinking out loud here," I proposed, "but maybe we could all go to Panera, and you and she could sit at one table eating bagels and sipping hot cocoa, and I could sit a couple of tables over with the others."

She nodded slightly. I wasn't sure if she liked the plan. Maybe she didn't want to have to sit with that sibling? Maybe she was feeling pressured? Or maybe she loved it and was just imagining it in her head? I continued to sell the idea, "You and she would be almost like a couple of teenagers, just sitting there talking, finding out what the other one is thinking, while I'm over there with the crazies. What do you think? Is that a good idea?"

"Sure," she agreed.

"Great," I said.

"It's just..." she stopped herself.

"What?"

"Could you be just one table away?"