Ship Full o' Pirates

Reprinted with permission. Taken from the Official Book of Homeschooling Cartoons www.familymanweb.com

I have to tell you, since my baby is already 5 ½ years old, I am mostly on the other side of these “crying in the closet” kind of days.  That does NOT mean I have forgotten how hard these kinds of days are.  Especially when they come one after another after another.

I have a photo of myself on Mother’s Day several years ago, when all of the Pirates were little.  As a matter of fact The Princess wasn’t even around yet, so I still had some youth to me.  It is such a sweet picture.  I’m sitting in a chair and the Pirates are climbing all over me posing sweetly with me.  I’m smiling my patient-est mama smile.   But if you look closely (I’ll spare you that horror) at my face in the photo, even though it was Mother’s Day, and REALLY!  I was happy! I remember!   I was the tired-est woman in all of North America that day.  And the Pirates weren’t even sick.

I don’t recall that anything unusual was going on that day or that week, but I do remember how tired I was that day.

My reason for telling you all of this is just to point out that caring for small children is physically taxing.  Use that for your copywork this week!

Caring for small children is physically taxing.

That doesn’t make it bad, or wrong to have children.  Don’t let anyone tell you that.  And don’t let them imply that if you would just quit having babies all your troubles would be over.

I don’t know why folks assume that it’s ok to offer unsollicited advice like that.  But they do, can I get an amen?

I also know that when you are having “one of those days” or weeks or decades, it’s easy to hear that lady’s voice, you know, the lady in the elevator at the clinic on the day you realize that your 3 year old has an elevator phobia, and you’re 8 months pregnant and your 2 year old has just kicked you in the tummy during his eye exam.  I guess she thinks she is really doing the world a service of some kind with her “advice” that if you would just buy a TV….

But, instead of letting that nasty comment rattle around in your tired head, keep your priorities straight.  Remember that God said they are a blessing.

You know that saying?  God said it, I believe it, that settles it. Do you know where the theology breaks down in there?  The words “I believe it” have no part in that sentence.  God said it, that settles it. There ya go.