The Difference

As Mothers Day approaches I have to ponder the reasons we treat our parents differently than others. This is the perfect example.

Bedtime for mommy with no daytime nap:
6pm Bath. Stall getting out. Stall getting dressed by running around the house naked and hiding.
6:30 brush teeth
6:35 read two books. Ask for one more. Mom says no. Throw a fit.
6:55 mom says a prayer. Ask for a song. Mom sings. Ask for a snuggle. Mom snuggles.
7:05 mom says good night and leaves.
7:15 still jumping around and talking
7:30 mom warns to stay in bed
7:45 finally he sleeps

Bedtime for favorite sitter, Shelby with no daytime nap:
6:00 he tells her, "I think we should get my bath. Im exhausted from playing all day."
6:30 he falls asleep on her shoulder into the third book.
No fight, no struggle, just pure sweetness.

As parents we get to see the good, the bad, and the ugly in our kids. With our parents we feel more comfortable with them then with anyone else in the world. Comfortable enough to give them a hard time with just about everything and know that they will still love us despite our actions. But also comfortable enough to be concerned when I leave and say, "drive safely mommy." And comfortable enough to comfort me when I say, "I miss daddy." And he replies with a soft sweet voice, " it's ok mommy, he's coming back, we're ok." And comfortable enough to sometimes leave mommy alone to sleep in just a bit longer in the morning while he plays quietly.

In bible study we learned that God forgives us of our sins when we are young so we don't have to carry that burden as an adult. Thank God for that because I was pretty rotten to my parents at a certain point. This made me realize that as a parent we must also forgive.