The Agony of Defeat

Recently, I lost a bench trial that I really thought I was going to win. It was my second trial and the second loss, in a row. I'm like Hillary Clinton! (Yuck). Anyway, I was so upset, so shell-shocked, that my down-and-out mood must have been obvious to S-phie when I picked her up from school, or so I thought. My general belief is that it's better to tell kids a kid-friendly version of the truth than to deny the truth, as they sense the truth anyway and then just feel anxious if you tell them that nothing is up when something is really wrong. Anyway, so here's how it went:

Me: S-ph, I'm kinda sad because I had a really bad day at work today.

S: Why?

Me: Well, I lost a trial.

S: What does that mean?

Me: Well, it means that the judge didn't believe me and my client, she believed the other people.

S: Why?

Me: I don't know.

S: . . . (thoughtful) . . . Well, maybe they told it more clearly.

Me: [thought bubble: omg, my 6 year old is a fucking genius, but she just totally dissed me] . . . Maybe so, S-ph.