We babysat this weekend for the Niece and the Nephew. Our conversations were, to put it mildly, challenging.
The Nephew (age 7) over dinner: "Aunt Trish...are you and Uncle Steve ever going to have babies? I mean, you have a four door car!" (Practical boy, the Nephew).
My nuanced, sophisticated response? "Hey! Look at your clean plate! Would you like some cookies?" There was no way I was getting into the whole conversation about trying with him, even though he's made it perfectly clear over the past year or so that he's rather disappointed Steve and I haven't made the time to go to the baby store, pick out a cousin for him, and put it in my tummy for nine months to bake.
Then there was the Niece (age 4) at bedtime, right after I said, "Goodnight sweetie...sweet dreams...bless you!":
"Aunt Trish, what's bless you?
Me (again, revealing a deep sensitivity and attention to her spiritual development): "Um...Bless you is like saying God bless you. Okay? Great! Goodnight!"
She sat up in her bed. "But what does God bless you mean?"
"Well, it means, I hope God brings you blessings. You know, like the blessings you have: your family, your house, your dog Otis..."
"Then you have blessings, too Aunt Trish," she observed wisely. "You have THAT DOG!" She paused for a moment, gazing around at her piles of stuffed puppies. "I sure hope God brings me more blessings!" she finally said. Suddenly, I realized the deep theology lesson I'd imparted: Blessings = Dogs.
It's not entirely wrong...
18 comments:
As a matter of fact it's quite brilliant, Trish. After all, dogs = unconditional love...what blessings.
I remember a similar conversation with my niece and nephew that went something like, "Aunt Carleen, whatever happened to that boy or girl you were going to have?"
Um...well....
Dogs = Blessings for certain.
You know, if the church pushed your niece's interpretation, there's a good chance it'd hold onto more of members. I'm just saying. Who doesn't love dogs????
Awwww, out of the mouths of babes and nieces/nephews. ;o)
xox
you gave one of life's greatest blessings...
Awww I listening to little kids and their logic. Sooo why DID you buy a 4-dour car if there are no kids on the way???? Haha you could be driving a 2-seater convertable :)
Kids are SO funny! Your answer to the kids question is almost exactly like the one I gave to my friend's daughter when she asked me how come Jamie Lynn Spears could be having a baby if she was only 16 and not married. I was like, uhhh ... look! Chocolate!
Dogs are blessings except when they chew holes in your walls, destroy your furniture, pee on the rug, etc. I mean, I love dogs and I want one. But they aren't ALWAYS a blessing.
Ah, kids. Awkward questions are a staple. My sister's boyfriend was asked basically every time he saw a certain niece when he was going to marry my sister. Right from the start. It worked eventually.
Little kids say the cutest things sometimes! My mom is a preschool teacher and always has stories about her students and the wacky things they do/say.
Kids truly say the darndest things! Good comebacks.
from the mouths of babes...ha ha!
So funny!
I love that four door car = kids. Seems logical to me.
I would have brought up cookies too.
Blessings = dogs? Interesting. I'm hoping that can be extended to a hot single Christian man that might tag along with my blessing.
That is so darling! The most poignant lessons often come in surprising ways.
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