Catholic Writer and Speaker
by Danielle Filed Under: Overheard 4 Comments
I took the younger kids on a hike in the woods this afternoon. A few minutes in, the trail got a little rough and wet. At one particularly messy spot, 10-year-old Stephen, our fearless leader, paused and looked back.
“Hold on just a minute, everyone,” he said with concern. “Mama, are you wearing heels?”
5 year old Raphael: When I grow up, I want to be … a prankster.
Stephen was asking about smoking cigarettes. Is it really addictive, he wanted to know. And why do people do it anyway? And how bad is it for your body?
As this was a great teaching moment, I was pleased to see a group of younger kids gathered to listen in while I answered his questions.
“I don’t understand,” Stephen finally said, “why the government doesn’t just make cigarettes completely illegal.”
Ah ha! More teaching moments! We talked about personal freedom and unjust governments that don’t respect human rights. We talked about the privilege of being American and the right to make personal decisions, even if sometimes they are poor ones.
“We must remember,” I finally summed up, “that with great freedom comes — ”
“GREAT RESPONSIBILITY!” a whole gang of kids interrupted to finish my sentence.
I was impressed.
“Yes, that’s right. Where did you hear that before?”
“Sponge Bob.”
Oh.
by Danielle Filed Under: F&F magazine, Overheard
Daniel approached me with a copy of the Fall issue of Faith & Family magazine in hand.
“Will you roll this up for me,” he asked, “so that I can kill some flies?”
Girl #1 (dreamily): When I grow up, I’m going to have a limousine and I will take it everywhere I go.
Girl #2 (practically): Good luck with parking.
“What color popsicle would you like?”
“Gween.”
“Here you go.”
“Uhhh, ack-chewally … yeyow.”
“There is no yellow.”
“Yeyow is on the box.”
“That’s orange.”
“Okay. Ack-chewally owange.”
“Here you go.”
“Uhhh … ack-chewally gween …”
“Can we watch Sponge Bob?”
“No.”
“How about now?”
“No.”
“How about video games?”
“No.”
“A movie?”
“No.”
“Now?”
“No.”
I think he gets his “temperance” from me.
Stephen: I think I really like these mini Cadbury Eggs … because with the big ones, you just keep on eating them, even if it’s too much, and then you end up feeling sick. These little ones are less dangerous.