Posted Mar-30-08 13:03:44 PDT
This morning in church we were sitting near a couple with two often-unruly children...they're not bad kids by any means, just high-spirited, and it's difficult for them to sit quietly for two hours during the Sunday services. My own little boy (he's 2 years old) was sitting quietly on my lap, his head on my shoulder, being the epitome of the perfect little angel, while the two kids across from us whined and fussed and kicked each other and fought over a Barbie book. It was hard not to glance over at them every minute or two, which I try not to do because I know it's embarassing for their poor mother.
I was sitting there silently gloating over how good my little boy is....so sweet, so quiet, so un-disturbing. Such a darling. Nobody EVER has to glance meaningfully over at US during Sunday service!
Just about the time I had decided I was the best mother EVER and that nobody else on the planet seems to know how to raise their kids the RIGHT way, my little angel decided to suddenly burst out laughing. Not just a short burst---he started bellylaughing, LOUD, and he refused to stop. I shhhhh'd him, I shook my finger at him, I pressed my hand over his mouth....no matter what I did, he continued. He laughed and laughed and laughed, that infectious high-pitched giggle that toddlers have, and I got tickled myself and started to laugh too (though I did it as quietly as possible). This of course made my son laugh harder and louder and begin throwing himself backwards, which meant I had to remove my hand from his mouth to keep him from tumbling off my lap. He REALLY cut loose then, squealing and laughing and kicking in glee.
Heads began to turn. Some grinning, some scowling. In a few moments most of the audience was turned around looking at us, wondering what the problem was. My face went red and I glanced across the aisle at the family with the two unruly children.
The mom was looking at us. She was smiling.
It wasn't one of those "now you know what it feels like!" type of smiles. It was the smile you see on moms and ONLY on moms, that smile that makes you think mothers are actually angels in human form sent here to look after all the children.
I want to be that kind of mom. I want to develop that smile. And I will never again cast a disapproving glance across the aisle when somebody's kids are acting up in church.
I'm sure my day is coming...I just hope others are as kind about it as the mom that sat across from us today.
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