A friend of mine posted something on her Facebook page
earlier today that made me smile, laugh, and nod my head in agreement, because
I could totally relate. Here’s what it said:
If
you're not miscounting the eggs you hide and finding some the year after, are
you really even doing it right?
Oh, can I ever relate! When we moved off the
farm—the home where we raised our kids and had twenty-three egg hunts—I am not
ashamed or embarrassed to admit that while digging up starts of plants to take
with me and taking some special rocks for my new flower beds (don’t judge me),
and when I was walking around in the pasture that butted up against the back
yard, I found a few plastic eggs with the candy still inside. Some of it was
‘only’ a few weeks old, but some of it was obviously older…a LOT older.
Come on, you know what I’m talking about. You’ve had
your share of leftover eggs. And if we’re really being honest, I bet you also
have to admit that (like me) you’ve also come across a Christmas gift or two
you never gave because you either forgot you bought it or couldn’t remember
where you hid it.
Hey, we’re only human. Besides, what’s a few missing
eggs and a sweater nobody really wanted anyway? Better those things than your
kids, right
I say this
because there are a lot of kids ‘out there’ who feel like a forgotten egg or
misplaced present. They feel overlooked, misunderstood, unheard, and unloved.
These kids aren’t necessarily dirty, underfed, and undisciplined. The kids who
feel forgotten are just as apt to be dressed in the latest and greatest, have a
full schedule of extra-curricular activities, and have more social media
friends than whole student body in their school. One of them may even be living
in your house.
What I’m saying is that when it comes to your kids,
you can’t misplace their tender hearts and minds. You can’t forget how much
they need you—even when they try to hide themselves from you during their
teenage years. You need to know where your kids are (physically and emotionally),
who they’re with, and what they’re doing. Talk to them. Listen to them. Be a
consistent and positive presence in their lives. Teach them. Discipline them.
Love them.
Love,
Momma D
Copyright 2018 Darla Noble. No part of this can be used or copied without permission from the author.
