Gulp.
Enter the sinking feeling in the pit of every mom's stomach, followed by the thought, "Lord, what did he do, now? Straight face. Just keep a straight face and handle him when you get back across the street and safely behind closed doors."
Thankfully, my neighbor did not keep me in suspense for long, but went right into a replay of a conversation he overheard my boy having with his friend. It went something like this.
Friend: Come on. Let's go around the corner.
Son: No.
Friend: Why not? Come on. Let's go.
Son: No. My mom told me I can't go around there, so I'm staying right here.
Friend: Fine. I've been their friend longer than I've been yours anyway.
Son: That's okay. I'll make new friends.
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| Photo Credit: Raising Man Cubs (all rights reserved) |
Strike up the band! That boy deserves a standing ovation! Son, you just encountered Peer Pressure in the ring and took it down to the mat. What are you going to do next? I'm sure he would say something like, "I'm going to Disney World."
Me? I'm memorializing this moment for all time on this blog to remind myself that even in the darkest hours of motherhood, when I feel like all of my efforts are amounting to nothing but endless piles of dirty laundry and brotherly squabbles, my children are listening.
Not only are they listening, but they are applying what they are learning. Now, this does not always happen, but I praise God when it does.
This is better than the Superbowl. Better than a bowl of Ben and Jerry's Coffee Ice Cream. Better than, well, lots of things.
This is one of life's little badges, and I am proud to wear it.
My neighbor across the street has a son. Apparently, one day he invited Daniel into his house and he told him and his mom that he couldn't go in anyone's house. His mom told me about it later and she told me that she told Daniel, "that is right, Daniel, because you do not know us very well." She thought it was good that he remembered!
ReplyDeleteIt's even better when other adults notice their moments of integrity. It validates everything we are trying to teach them. When I shared the story with my son, I said, "Now our neighbor knows you are someone he can trust." His little chest puffed out. :-)
ReplyDeleteI got a compliment at the grocery store about my daughter helping me get what was on my list and not complaining about what she wanted. I swelled with pride at that.
ReplyDeleteWhen the clerk asked her what school she went to, she proudly said that she was home educated by her Mom. I was pretty flattered by that too. LOL The clerk asked her what she liked best about homeschooling and Bri said the freedom to be. :)
Amy,
Delete"The freedom to be..." Love it!