Whenever it feels like I’m brushing up against writer’s block, I check the community for daily prompts. Right now it’s kind of like my small ritual, one that almost always kick-starts my productivity. Most days, the prompts feel tough, distant, or completely unrelated to my headspace. But then there are days like this, when a prompt fits so perfectly. Those are the days my words stop resisting and start flowing.
Today’s prompt is deal or no deal, and I realized I use that phrase more often than I think, especially around kids. Children have a funny way of turning everyday moments into contracts, pinky swears and binding agreements sealed with seriousness that rivals any courtroom drama.
The last deal I made was five days ago, with my nephew. I was packing up to leave their house, ready to head back to mine, when he grabbed my purse and clutched it to his chest. Then he looked up at me with that mix of mischief and determination, kids perfect early in life and asked if I would come back soon. I smiled and said yes. Apparently, that wasn’t convincing enough, so he raised the stakes.
“I’ll give you your bag,” he toddler spoke, “if you promise to come back again soon. Deal or no deal?”
I burst out laughing. There was no negotiation or counteroffer. Just my tiny human standing his ground, fully aware of the power he held in that moment. I raised my hands in mock surrender and said, “Deal!”
I know his sisters probably coached him, they have that strategic mind but honestly, even without help, my nephew is sharp. Kids understand something we tend to forget as adults that deals are about trust, assurance and wanting to hold on to people, even if just a little longer.
While I rode home after getting my bag back, the moment flashed through my mind. Because deal or no deal isn’t always about bargaining but connection. It’s about promises made in laughter, choosing presence over haste and mostly about agreeing to return even when life keeps pulling us away.
And I guess that’s why this prompt worked for me today. Some deals are small and sweet, some are unspoken, some are sealed with a smile and a laugh and the hope that soon really does mean soon.
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