Yesterday I thought it would be fun to interview the children. I hauled out the video camera and one by one, I asked them questions pertaining to how well they knew the momma while the others waited their turn upstairs.
Some of the answers were hilarious. For example, when asked how old I was, Angela replied: “Big. Actually, you’re medium. Daddy’s big.”
When asked how tall I was, Jem ventured, “Um…six feet?” (“I’m 5 feet tall,” I corrected him. “Why don’t we split the difference?”)
Jem was a total goofball in that every time I looked down at my list of questions, he made a face at the camera. Never once did I catch him, though he was certainly eager to review the tape with me once we’d finished!
Crazy kid.
The response to “Where is your mom’s favorite place to go?” was universal. They all said, “Caribou Coffee.” They know me! They really know me! Oh, and when asked what Mommy does for her job, Angela said, “Play computer.” (Ahem.)
So yes. Some of the answers were very funny.
Others, though? Not so much.
I knew Cate’s interview would be…interesting because she’s such an extroverted little girl and because she’s so much like me. I did not, however, anticipate her answer to the question: What is your mother not very good at?
Her reply? Spending time with us.
The rest of the day went downhill from there, I’m afraid. Rather than make the resolution right then to be more present to my children, I gave in to self-pity and discouragement. “I’m here all day!” I thought, crestfallen. “What more does she want from me?”
Well, I know the answer. Being present physically is not at all the same as being present emotionally, and like the three apostles in the garden, I feel I have fallen asleep on the job. May God give me the grace to do better…and may the rest of this week be, indeed, a Holy Week.
With love in the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts,
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