Loosen Up!

Sitting on the park bench, I enjoy the feeling of the warm sun and the sound of Trey laughing as he runs around the playground. Basking in the 'see how well my son is playing with others' moment, a minute or two goes by before I see the arcing stream of liquid coming from the top of the high slide.

Inwardly, I allow myself an amused head shake at the boy whose mother obviously isn't paying enough attention.

Then it dawns on me.

That is MY boy.

And then, in front of the entire playground, I become 'that mom'. You've seen her. She's the one who calls and calls for her obviously neglected, undisciplined child as he runs away laughing.

Laughing turns to screams when I climb the play set and chase him to the top again. My face burning in embarrassment, I navigate around mortified children as I take the walk of shame to the car with the screaming, crying toddler under my arm.

Later, when I relate the incident to friends and family, the only response I receive is laughter. Then stories of their embarrassing kid/parent moments.

And I remember again, that sometimes, we just need to loosen up. Life isn't about being the perfect mom, having the perfect child, being the perfect example.

Sometimes, life is about seeing the humor and allowing ourselves to laugh.

God thinks so too.

There's a reason why, tucked into what is otherwise a rather depressing book of the bible, that God uses the writer to remind us that just as there is a season to cry and lament, there is also a season to laugh and cheer.

 “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.

                           ...a time to laugh.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4b)

 Parenting is about seasons. It's easy to get so caught up in the day to day that we forget to move with the liquidity of the moments. Each moment makes a season – don't forget to let yourself laugh.