To Be a Little Boy

What must it be like to be a little boy?
To have unidentified substances under your fingernails.
To make things with boxes and paper and tape and feathers.
To devour an afternoon snack with great gusto.
To slay imaginary dragons with sticks and plungers and wrapping paper rolls and brooms.
What must it be like to be a little boy?
To always smell faintly of puppy.
To take such delight in rocks.
To glow at the praise of your daddy.
To want to be just like him.
What must it be like to be a little boy?
To flex bony arm muscles.
To dig.
To long to be in charge of something.
To be allergic to baths. And homework. And girls.
What must it be like to be a little boy?
To be fascinated with trucks and rockets and robots and airplanes.
To climb.
To practice whistling for hours.
To practice spitting every time you go outside.
And what must it be like to be a man?
To bear the weight of your responsibility on your bended knees.
To slay the dragons that try to devour your family's unity and faith and finances.
To glow at the praise of your spouse.
To still be fascinated with trucks and rockets and robots and airplanes.
And to tell your little boy how very proud of him you are.
Because you know exactly what it's like
To be a little boy.

do not open intil mothers day

I just love surprises, so when our 8-year-old handed me this gift yesterday, I felt so special! It is a piece of copier paper that has been folded over and over and taped closed. When I shake it, I'm pretty sure there are two quarters inside. Or maybe they're nickels. Either way, how precious is that?!?

The only income sources for this kid are the couch cushions, birthday gifts, and the tooth fairy. So for him to give me two coins is so very sweet. It speaks of his generous heart. And it reveals what he treasures - me!

In Matthew 6:21, Jesus says, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If heart follows treasure, where's mine? I can proclaim my heart's devotion, but to really reveal the truth of the matter, I need to do a treasure hunt. Aarrrrgh, mateys.

What (who) do I think of most? In what do I invest my money? How do I spend my free time? Would those people who know me best see love in my actions? What about my motivation? If I looked into a golden chest containing the most important thing in the world to me, what would I see? My husband and boys? My home or friends? Jesus?

It strikes me that Jesus knows how my heart works. The question is not whether I will have treasure, but rather what it will be. The things that I value the most have my devotion. They receive my attention. They get my quarters. Nickels?

So this Mother's Day I will enjoy the surprise of opening my son's gift. I will bask in the blessing of being someone's treasure. And I will try to figure out what I can buy for 50 cents. Or is it 10 cents? Hmmm.