I remembered my point about police officers, and it was so simple. Be nice to them. Be nice to all people who work in the public sector because odds are, wherever you are, that worker just got finished dealing with twenty of the exact type of people you hate most. You might be the only good thing to happen to him/her today.
****
I got a phone call from Thor’s afterschool program around 3:23pm today. He was ill. By the time I got there (3:47pm), he was wadded up in a ball on a nap mat, shivering with a chill, compress on his forehead, perfectly silent. He rolled his eyes up at me like a basset hound and said, “I’m sick.”
45 minutes and many, many tears later, he tested positive for strep.
While he was curled up on the examination table, he summoned the energy–and I mean that, you could see him gathering strength to speak–to say, “Mama, I got all my behavior coins today–all five.” And that about broke my heart.
I thought about the effort it must have cost him, feeling the way he felt, and there was that pride. I don’t expect perfection from my son, but I do expect effort, and today’s effort was heroic for a little guy like him. I considered buying him a pony, but realized that was probably overkill. I let him pick out some Gatorade instead.
*****
Peter, the denier. Thomas, the doubter. James and John, the sons of thunder. Judas, the betrayer. If Jesus’ closest staff was so full of vice, why do I expect mortal ministers to be able to pull together anything better? Or does the ministry just attract these personality types? (I’d be the Doubter, by the way.)
****
And I am plumb wore out. After a night on the loveseat with a miserable child, I am ready for a night in my bed with a drugged child. (Help me Cheezus, if anyone takes that out of context!)
The Outside Lane 