"Back in Line" with Dr. Mosier: Welcome to the Toy Thunderdome

Two enter… one leaves with the dinosaur

I’m often the mediator in what we call “emergency toy crises.” These happen daily. Actually, if we’re being honest, they happen multiple times a day. I’m almost certain I’ve lost part of my hearing from the blood-curdling screams. (And no, it’s not selective hearing, despite what Ellen claims.)

My boys have not yet grasped the concept of sharing. At this stage, sharing isn’t just a foreign language to them—it’s a language they actively despise. Especially Isaac and Ethan. Their philosophy seems to be, “What’s mine is mine… and what’s yours is also mine.” If one of them has something, the other suddenly needs it. This jealousy even shows up in the kitchen when I’m making my famous protein shakes. Both boys absolutely must have the red cup.

Because Isaac is the older brother, I often sit him down and try to talk some reason into these unreasonable situations. We’ve had this conversation so many times that he knows what I’m going to ask before I ask it. He knows the look. The question is always the same:

What is more important—people or things?

“Toys and stuff are fun, sure. But your brother—your family—is more important.”

But we live in a social media comparison culture. We are constantly shown highlight reels while we live in our own unfiltered everyday lives. It leaves us feeling like we’re missing something… or like someone else has it better. And slowly, whether we realize it or not, we begin to love things and use people.

But Scripture leads us another way.

We are called to love people and use things.

Things can be replaced. People can’t. We’re reminded of that sharply at a funeral.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.”— Matthew 22:39

So when I ask Isaac, “What’s more important, people or things?”He drops his head, sighs, and says softly, “People.”

These loud, chaotic, heart-stretching parenting moments remind me of the story where four friends dug a hole through a roof to lower their paralyzed friend down to Jesus. They did whatever it took to get their friend help. Life will bring trials. And in those moments, we all need our own “mat carriers”—those who help pick us up when we can’t lift ourselves.

But in a world driven by comparison and transaction, true mat carriers can be hard to find. Relationships can slip into “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.” Why help someone who can’t help you?

So here’s our chance to flip the script together.

Let’s love people.

Let’s remember that things are just… things.

When we feel the most helpless—let’s choose to be the most helpful.

This winter, Mosier Family Chiropractic is teaming up with Rita Lincks at Linck’s Clothing for our Sweater Together program. Rita has generously agreed to offer a new, high-quality adult sweater at wholesale cost. That means when you buy one for yourself or as a Christmas gift, you’re also providing a sweater for a local elementary student who needs one.

These students can’t pay you back. Not anytime soon. But that’s exactly what makes this beautiful. This is what being a mat carrier looks like.

On our own, we are limited.

Together, we make a difference.

Join us this year in Sweater Together.

Your fellow mat carrier,

Dr. Mosier