While standing in line at Meijer tonight, I witnessed something that made me cry all the way to my comfy leather chair at Caribou.
A mom, a dad and their four kids were checking out. The kids all had dirty clothes and unkept hair. They all looked a little rough around the edges. I saw the mom swear at her children repeatedly, threaten her children, threaten another customer for glaring at her, mention using a pistol on her children and eventually slap one child in the face then blame him for making her slap him. She was obviously at her limit. She probably had a bad day. She might even have a bad life. But she did not need to treat those children that way. It broke my heart.
I got in the car thinking about all the things I should have said, should have done. I prayed hard for that woman to have peace, for that family to have joy, for them to have Jesus and tears came to my eyes.
It shook me up. I was on my way to Caribou with a book per my husband's instructions for me to take a pre-Mother's Day evening to relax. I thought about how I could put it all out my mind and, honestly, once I was settled in with my coffee and into my book, I did.
About a half hour later, a mom came in with her daughter. They sat at a table near me, sipping their drinks, playing cards and giggling. I was struck by the contrast between this mother and the mother I'd watched at Meijer.
It was so easy for me to go on with life and forget about the sad situation that first family probably lives in. Because I have a good life and when I'm at my limit, I have a good husband to tells me to go to Caribou with a book.
So this Mother's Day I want to strive to be like the happy mom at Caribou, but I also want to recognize that we all reach our limit sometimes. We all have bad days. I hope I don't forget about that first mother and to pray for her and I also hope to have lots of happy moments like that second mother with my kids. As mothers, we all need prayer... we need to pray and we need others praying for us.
Happy Mother's Day!
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3 comments:
Whenever I see parents treating their innocent children with such disrespect, I cringe in disgust. Parents lie these are responsible for the poor outcome of their children. But still they blame their children for every bad part of their life.
C & I had a situation this weekend that left a cloud over my Mother's Day & broke my heart. Everything is fine between us now, but she wounded me & I wounded her. I was reminded how easily we throw out words that pierce to the heart & and how impossible it is to take them back.
I realize that it is not good to treat children that way but I also feel sorry for the mom, chances are she is (or was) a victim of poverty and the recession I can understand why she wouldnt want to have to put up with anything else. Nonethelesskids are kids and even if you are facing hard times the last thing you should do is take it out on your kids.
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