Sex, Drugs and Organ Donation

I have decided to throw caution to the wind and discuss very adult topics with my kids. This might be a bad idea, but it was taking too much time and energy trying to skirt around uncomfortable subjects. In the past week we have had very lively conversations about organ donation, mental retardation, prejudice, homelessness and homosexuality. I'm not just bringing up these issues for debate amongst my 7, 6 and 4 year old; they had questions and misconceptions that needed clarification. I figured that they have already had to deal with their mother having cancer and the ramifications of that diagnosis, so trying to protect them from sensitive material was a moot point. Amazingly, it wasn't too difficult to talk about any of these subjects with them once I got started and they asked good questions and they weren't too blown away by talking about it. They don't know that these are embarrasing or awkward things to discuss and by presenting these things to them as material about which it is okay to talk to mom and dad, I'm hoping that they'll choose Lee and I as their information sources over less desireable fonts of knowledge.

Tonite at their school, my boys had a program called "Art Night". It took place in the cafeteria and there were about 5 or 6 craft stations. I've decided that big crowds of children do not appeal to me. Actually, I find this situation to be the opposite of fun and it usually ends with me cursing and shreiking at my children (but I manage to throw a smile on my face as soon as another mother comes within my force field). We started out at a station where kids could make snacks out of things like cheetos, blue frosting, graham crackers, marshmallows and maraschino cherries (I am not making this up). My boys saw a tray of celery and looked at it and said "What's that stuff?" It was a moment of motherly pride, knowing that my boys had no earthly idea what celery was. When I mentioned to two other mothers that being in that cafeteria, making those crafts was my idea of hell, they looked at me as though I had just spoken heresy. The highlight of the evening was when there was 2 simultaneous drink spills and one child announcing that we had to leave immediately because mother nature was calling. As if that were not enough, I had to man the front entrance booth; a 30 minute (which turned into 60 minutes) shift that I was guilted into doing. The first set of mom's that shared this task with me were a bit eager about their position as greeters and passed out bags of plastic trinkets in a very Kathy Lee Gifford manner. I did not share their enthusiasm. I was happy when this Chinese mom came along and took over for the other 2 ladies. She was equally uninterested in the whole process and she told me all about the Chinese government's one-child-only program, communism and why Chinese parents push their children so hard (in China, it seems, they are kind of like salmon swimming upstream, all trying to beat each other to get ahead). That was my take home message of the evening; find an interesting mother and talk to her. The kids take home message is that their mother becomes a stark raving lunatic at sanctioned school events.

The good thing about the God that I serve is that my shortcomings come as no small suprise to Him. He is not shocked or appalled at my behavior. He is so willing to forgive and forget if I simply ask (and my kids are pretty darn forgiving as well). Despite my intolerance and lack of patience, He loves me no less. As He told Peter, there is not a finite number of times that you should forgive a person, "not just seven times, but 77 times".

So, I move forward knowing that tomorrow brings a new day and just so thankful that I have a tomorrow.

"The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God...The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. An we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed."
Oswald Chambers in My Utmost for His Highest.