We haven’t had Internet for a few days following a small black-out and I am very relieved to be connected once again without having to deal with the French telecommunications bureaucracy.
On Friday nights we usually have a Bible discussion group at our place with a short discussion followed by a yummy meal (everyone brings something and we have some really good chefs in our group). The kids eat first and then play downstairs together afterwards.
On this particular Friday the kids came upstairs in full costume towards the end of the evening and announced they had a “spectacle” for us. This means a theatre piece. We tried to demure, saying it was after ten and really time to be getting everyone to bed, but they insisted. So we agreed to suffer through it.
But it was so long and directionless we soon lost interest and started talking amongst ourselves again, doting parents that we are. That led to tears and forceful removal, either directly into bed or into the respective cars, accompanied by loud wails (at least by our three).
Young Lady and Young Knight were trying to impress upon me how unjust it was that we didn’t even listen to their entire performance when I said impatiently, “You know if you want us to listen you at least need a plot. All you did was dance around and holler, and it was boring.”
Sir was much more diplomatic, and after to listening to three weepy-voiced complaints, he explained to them that we had tried to tell them it was too late for a spectacle but since they insisted we went ahead with it. When it started to get too long we needed to cut it short, and if they really wanted us to see the whole thing they needed to choose a more auspicious moment.
(Just so you know, I made up for my hard heart and cruel words by listening to two coffee breaks worth of spectacles the following day, including a soliloquy).
Afterwards Sir went in to pray with Juliet and her prayer went something like this:
“God, thank you for this … not so great day. Thank you for joy; thank you for sadness.
Thank you for You, the King of Kings. Thank you for the Cross.
Thank you for my parents even though they’re annoying sometimes.”
Sir laughed.
“What?” she said with wide eyes. “Sometimes we’re annoying, but sometimes you’re annoying too.”
And then she concluded, “In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
My first thought was wow! – this kid really gets what it’s all about (thank you for joy, thank you for sadness), and way better than her annoying parents.
My second thought was, who’s coaching her on the side?
She’s rather clever, isn’t she, your young lady?