We can do it the easy way, or the hard way.

One of the sayings my mom used to always say when I was younger was, “We can do it the easy way or the hard way.” I remember hearing it a lot when I was in trouble, especially when I refused to apologize. I was super stubborn as a kid–if I fought with my sister or took something I shouldn’t have, I knew I’d messed up, but I just couldn’t bring myself to say the words “I’m sorry.” My mom would try to get me to apologize, and I’d either mumble something half-hearted like, “Fine, I’m sorry,” or insist, “I already said that,” hoping it would be enough. But it never was.

She was firm about making me say the words and meant it. My mom didn’t settle for anything less than a genuine apology, and I didn’t get to skip that step just because I thought I was done. If I didn’t truly apologize, the consequences were pretty clear. She’d look at me and say, “ We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” which, as a kid, felt like the ultimate ultimatum. The easy way meant saying sorry, accepting responsibility, and moving on. The hard way usually involved me being sent to my room or losing privileges for a while, and I’ll be honest, that was never fun.

Looking back, I get it now. My mom wasn’t just making me apologize for the sake of it; she was teaching me accountability and respect for others. I think she knew that if I didn’t learn how to own up to my mistakes early on, I’d struggle with it later in life. Now, I’m grateful she didn’t let me off the hook with an empty apology. It’s one of those lessons I carry with me, and I still find myself using that saying–”We can do it the easy way or the hard way”–whenever I’m faced with a tough situation. It’s a reminder that facing things head-on, even if it’s a little uncomfortable, is almost always the better choice.