A few years ago, a 3-yr-old boy ended up in my yard & his mom didnt know he had gotten out of the house because she had been drying her hair. On the way back from returning him, a neighbor across the street, who had seen him too, was laughing & told me his kid used to do the same thing. Another time, I was at Menards with my mom, & a little boy fell OUT of a shopping cart. Luckily my mom caught him because his mother was too busy shopping to catch him. And there have been COUNTLESS times that Ive seen mothers LAUGH when their kids fall rather than go see if theyre ok! I understand its funny sometimes but at least make sure theyre ok first! :-( Ive also lost count of how many times Ive seen mothers in public who let their kids run back & forth instead of making them stick close by. And Im sure youve all seen this one; that mother who is just ignoring her sweet, happy little boy who just desperately wants her attention and wants to talk to her! :-( That one is really heart-breaking for me to see!! :-( :-( :-( Really what is wrong with people? These are just a few examples of MANY of parents who just dont seem to care! :-( Its so hard to understand why some people are allowed to even HAVE children!! :-( :-( I get it.. I have some very crazy boys, but even Id never let myself become like those moms! :-( Or... well... thats how I USED to think, anyway. But as I reflect, I have to chuckle... That mother ignoring the sweet little boy desperately seeking her attention... is me. Except it only *seems* Im ignoring him.. actually, Im counting.. repeatedly.. and taking deep breaths.. and practicing patience, and applying that old rule of not saying anything at all if you have nothing nice to say. Because that sweet, adorable little boy you see, NEVER. STOPS. TALKING (No really. NEVER. Even when IM talking, when there are 7393854983 other things going on, when Gabe needs to concentrate on homework, when someone is on the phone, when Im trying to listen to something, etc etc etc!!!) TRUST ME, that moms silence is not neglect.. its her way of showing that sweet little boy MERCY & GRACE!! ;-) That mother letting her kid run back & forth.. is me. Because Ive realized that my little Lion-hearted baby gives me two choices in public; his freedom, or his unbridled screams of fury. So I have taught him, as best I can, to have *limited* freedom, & Ive aquired INCREDIBLE peripheral vision. It may appear that Im not watching him sometimes. Trust me. Im watching him. ;-) The mother who laughs before making sure her kid is ok when he falls... is me. Because Abram falls every. five. feet. So hes gotten gooood at it. :-D And Ive gotten good at knowing - based on how he lands and his reaction - whether its a bad one, or a hilaaaarious one. :-D That mother whose kid fell out of a shopping cart.... siiggh... yep, thats me too. Because once again, ABRAM has taught me that while I *thought* I had some pretty crazy boys, I hadnt seen ANYTHING until that little maniac came around! That kid has been rescued from shopping cart casualties by strangers not once, not twice, but THREE times. Youd think Id learn my lesson right?! Well I have! Since duct taping him to the cart is not socially acceptable, Ive learned that I have EXACTLY 2 seconds - from the time I secure him with the strap on the cart, to the time he gets OUT of that strap and makes a leap for it - to grab whatever it is I need to grab. And I silently chuckle as I watch the terror on the clerks faces in the check out aisles as he tries to stand up & leap out, but is held back by my hand, which NEVER lets go of his shirt in a checkout aisle & which they didnt even realize had a hold of him. ;-) And finally, those awful, neglectful parents I am cursed to have as neighbors... are me. Illustrated when the same neighbor who I condemned in my heart for laughing about how his kid used to run away... brought my toddler - who was halfway to the park - home..... for the second time. And then gave me tips on how to secure the deadbolt so that kids cant figure out how to unlock it. :-D All this is to say, today I am thankful for Gods grace, his lessons in humility, guardian angels, Menards (NEW, higher level of difficulty deadbolt in store for this house!)... and above all, a God with an awesome sense of humor. :-D
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 14:45:58 +0000
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