Mom Knows Best

We didn’t know any better. After all, what kid would question the opportunity to go play at a friend’s house?

“I’m going to drop you off at so and so’s for a while. You boys play while I go shopping,” Mom said. “Does that sound like fun to you?”

What’s not to like about that? After all, these were the days (please don’t call Child Protective Services) when it was fairly common for Mom to leave us three boys in the car while she bought groceries. (Not that I recommend it, mind you!)

Even so, playing at a friend’s house beats shopping any day of the week. (Come to think of it, that’s still true.) She dropped us off, we played together, she came back, and we went home. End of story.

A week later all three of us had the chicken pox.

Why would Mom play such a sinister trick on us? Why would she deliberately expose us to disease? Because she knew that this short-term childhood pain would result in long-term physical health.

Moms have a way of knowing such things.

I often wear a T-shirt that says, “Mom Knows Best.” It invariably elicits smiles. When I tell people that I stole it out of my wife’s closet, which is true, they think it’s funny. I can’t imagine why.

This is not a story about parenting, though perhaps it should be. After all, with three kids in the ministry and all four devout Christ-followers, I’d say Mom and Dad did a few things right….

At this very moment while writing this story, I was interrupted by a phone call from my daughter. “Guess what, Daddy! I have good news!”

What happened, I wondered. Did she get a raise?

“I’ll have ten days to come home for Christmas” she said.

“Wow!” I said. “You know what? I’m not just glad you’re coming home,” I said. “I’m also glad that you want to come home.”

She seemed incredulous as she replied, “Why wouldn’t I want to be with my family?” My thoughts, exactly.

Fifty-two minutes flew by as we talked about everything in general and nothing in particular.

Returning to this page I muse about the women in my life. There have been precisely four: my grandmother, my mother, my wife, and my daughter. Each one has loved me unconditionally and blessed me magnificently. Every man should be so lucky. I hope it’s contagious.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (Proverbs 31:30).