cheek or cheek?

I will admit that this story does not hold any inspiration nor does it have a theological twist. This story is just a story.

Yesterday a fellow blogger posted a delightful list of things she loved about her son. There were so many comments directed to the “Ta-Da” portion of her list that I think it could possibly become a popular bumper sticker. (To read the blog go to http://becomingcliche.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/making-choices/) That blog made me remember a story about my 7 year old son who is now 19. We forget those times until another mother makes us remember.

Our family was waiting to be seated in a popular restaurant in Gatlinburg. The line was long and the boys were enjoying watching the ducks in the stream that ran through the parking lot. A stream, several ducks and rocks to throw is the perfect way to wait when you have two young boys.

My seven year old always had problems with knowing when he needed to “Ta-Da.” If he realized he needed to, it was almost always too late. Somehow his seven year old brain would concentrate on life’s joys while ignoring his seven year old stomach that was screaming “I need to go to the bathroom NOW!” That’s the way it was in that funfilled parking lot. All my son saw were the winged creatures, muddy possibilities and rocks that might accidently hit a duck on the head…he was not listening to his stomach until it screamed.

Running to me with a pained look on his face, I instanty knew we needed to head to the bathroom. The bathroom was one stream, seven ducks, several stair steps, 75 people, one blocked door and two rooms of tables away. By the time we made it to the stairs he was saying,”Mom, I’m not going to make it.” (I could tell because he was walking like one of those ducks.) To this I wisely replied, “Just squeeze your cheeks together” and we kept on run-walk-waddling on. Once inside we started dodging the waiters and customers so I turned to see if he was following. There he was, holding his face cheeks togther with both his hands; squeezing so tightly that his lips had become the lips of a fish. Through those fish lips he said, “I don’t see how this is helping.”

After seeing that adorable face and hearing that frustrated voice, I almost did not make it to the bathroom! Thankfully we both made it in time…”Ta-Da!”

Thanks “Becoming Cliche” for bringing back that memory.