This morning, I had an unusual encounter that caught me off guard. As I was walking my toddler to daycare in the freezing cold, with the temperature at a chilly 0 degrees, a stranger approached us. The person seemed concerned and scolded me for making my child walk in such harsh conditions. They expressed disapproval and mentioned how it was far too cold for a little one to be out in the weather.

I was taken aback by the stranger’s comment, feeling a bit uncomfortable, but I tried to keep my focus on the task at hand. After all, we were on our way to daycare, and I knew that my toddler was dressed warmly and prepared for the cold. Still, the stranger wasn’t done, and they directed their attention to my toddler, offering an apology for what they assumed was my bad parenting decision.

To my surprise, my toddler didn’t seem phased by the stranger’s remarks. In fact, she looked up at them with a confident smile and responded in the most unexpected way. “The cold never bothered me anyway,” she said, echoing a line from her favorite movie, Frozen. It was a moment that made me pause and smile.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little at her perfectly timed response. It was a reminder that sometimes kids are far tougher than we give them credit for. My toddler had no complaints about the cold and was ready to continue on her way. She was clearly comfortable and content, making her way through the snow-covered streets like it was just another normal day.

The stranger, meanwhile, seemed taken aback by her response, perhaps realizing they had misunderstood the situation. The moment passed quickly, and the stranger didn’t say anything more. We continued on our path to daycare, with my toddler skipping ahead happily, completely unfazed by the chilly air around her.

In that moment, I felt like a proud parent. Not only had my toddler handled the cold with ease, but her confident response had turned an awkward situation into a win for us. It was a small, simple moment, but it reminded me of how capable and resilient children can be, and how they can sometimes teach us lessons about embracing the cold – and life – with a little more courage and a lot more joy.