Friends
I hope it was a special Mother’s Day for all the mothers and grandmothers out there. I am richly blessed, for I have known the abundant love of both a good mother, and a good mother-in-law. As I contemplated the joys of motherhood, this little story about one of my favorite “Mommy
“ moments came to mind. I hope it brings a smile to your lips this morning!
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“{Love} always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails…”
1 Corinthians 13:7-8a – NIV
Wise Choice
The whirring sound of bicycle wheels reached my ears. I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face as my son Jonathan blew past me, his blue and white bicycle helmet bobbing up and down as he pumped the pedals. The boy certainly had a need for speed. As he dashed past, he flashed that mischevious little grin that never failed to tickle my funny bone.
We were taking our afternoon walk, burning off energy after his long day at kindergarten. It was a beautiful fall day,the waning afternoon light flickering amid the reds and golds of the turning leaves. As the gentle breeze ruffled my dishwater blonde hair, I caught the telltale scent of autumn in the Carolinas, that earthy mix of fallen leaves and fading summer flowers.
I should have been enjoying the array of autumn color along our street, but my mind was miles away, plotting and fretting, actively searching for an easy solution that thus far had eluded me. It was time to sign up for soccer, and I was dreading it.
During his preschool year, Jonathan had played soccer for the first time, running up and down the field in a pack with his teammates. He seemed to enjoy the game, but should I sign him up for it again?
Most of Jonathan’s little buddies were playing soccer or baseball. My husband Eric and I wanted our son to participate in all the normal boyhood sports, but our family situation was anything but normal.
Four years earlier, I had been diagnosed with a retinal degenerative disease that had forced me to relinquish my car keys. My inability to drive had turned our world upside down. As the sole driver in our household, Eric had to provide transportation for everything our little family required, all while navigating the incessant demands of his high pressure 60 hour work week. He did the driving, and I did the planning. We both felt like overworked jugglers as we struggled through the daily grind of managing my work carpool rides and school transport, not to mention the endless errands, and worst of all, the grocery shopping. Adding one more place to go created yet another hurdle, and after-school sports felt like a giant leap.
It wasn’t just about soccer. There was baseball and swimming to consider too. Jonathan had participated in all three sports the previous year. He enjoyed it all, grinning with gusto as he kicked the ball or swung the bat. Eric and I enjoyed it too, once we finally made it to the field and could settle on the bleachers to watch the game. Jonathan had surprised us with his zest for swimming, demonstrating an unexpected talent for backstroke. We had not planned on joining the swim team, but when the swim coach recruited our little backstroker, of course, we said “Yes!”
Three sports might have been doable, if the seasons had not overlapped. Soccer games were not finished before baseball practices began. Swim practices kicked off smack in the middle of baseball season. While coordinating rides to practices and games presents a challenge for all working parents, it was nearly impossible for us. The overlap of the seasons made it a nightmare.
I worked hard to find rides to practices, and Eric did his best to get there to pick us up or to watch a game. With his Long commute, it was difficult for him to get home in time, often adding to the stress we already felt over our transportation issues.
Just the thought of soccer made me cringe. It was one more place to go, one more ride to arrange in an already long list. I just wasn’t sure we could handle it, but I didn’t want to short-change my son.
As we made a lap around our semi-circle street, I mulled over the situation without progress. It was time to talk it out with Jonathan. At five years old, he was well aware of our transportation hurdles. Perhaps I could find out what he was really interested in doing, and that might simplify the situation.
As Jonathan cycled along beside me, keeping pace with my steps, I decided to pose the question. “Hey buddy. I’ve been thinking. You know how last year we did soccer, baseball and swimming?”
“Uh-huh,” he murmured as he nodded his helmet covered head.
“Well, you know that was really hard for Daddy to get you to all those practices and games. It was hard for him to get home from work in time. Do you remember how sometimes we had both soccer and baseball going on at the same time?” I paused to see if he was following my thoughts.
“Yeah,” he nodded again, closely tracking the conversation.
“I was just wondering which sport you really like. I’m kind of thinking maybe you might have to choose just one sport. You’ve tried all three now, so you know what they’re like. I think to help Daddy, it might be best if you just picked one thing.”
I was watching Jonathan closely as I made my little speech. I wanted to be sure he was following my points, and that my proposal wasn’t upsetting him. I could tell by his serious expression that he was giving the matter his full attention. His little cherub face showed no sign of distress.
“So buddy, if you had to choose between soccer, baseball or swimming, which one would you choose?”
He was quiet for a moment, brow furrowed, tiny jaw clenched in concentration. With a heavy sigh, he began, “Well, soccer is too cold. Baseball is too hot. But swimming is just right. I think I’ll swim!”
The smile he flashed in my direction told me that he had made up his mind, and he was good with his choice. I had to steel myself not to laugh out loud at the precious way he had come to his decision.
“Well OK, buddy! We’ll swim!”
The smile I flashed in his direction was genuine, filled to the brim with gratitude. As we cruised on down the road, I breathed a sigh of relief, allowing the knot in my tense shoulders to relax a bit. I felt like I had just dodged a bullet.
I had proposed a hard choice for a little guy to make, but Jonathan had settled on a decision with a maturity far beyond his age. There was no whining, no crying, and he never brought the subject up again. He was going to be a swimmer, and he was good with that decision. He made the compromise out of love for his Daddy, and perhaps his Mama too. Even at his young age, he understood the heavy toll that a life without car keys took from me. He was doing his part to help us, and he had made a wise choice.
PRAYER
O Loving Heavenly Father, thank You for the love that binds us together. Thank You for the sweet moments of motherhood, moments that we hold in our hearts, treasured moments that never fail to bring a smile. Thank You for the good women in our lives, the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and friends. How blessed we are to receive their love. Thank You for loving us with a love that never fails.
In the Wonderful Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
Excerpt from the story, “Wise Choice” in Chapter 11 of “Rough Places Smooth: Moments In A Journey Through Blindness”
© 2022 by Anita Peden Sherer
All Rights Reserved.
-APS 5/13/2024
Faith Beyond Sight 