Paul E. Penno : May 8, 2010
A young father was trying to explain the concept of marriage to his four-year-old daughter. He got out their wedding album, thinking visual images would help, and explained the entire wedding service to her. When he was finished, he asked if she had any questions. She pointed to a picture of the wedding party and asked, “Daddy, is that when mommy came to work for us?”
A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I? When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word Mother.
When we are young, we need an example of sincere faith. Too often parents say that they want their children to make up their own minds about religion. They usually say that because they have not made up their own minds about what they believe. So, in essence, they are making disciples of their own belief system. Their children are going to believe like them unless somewhere along the line there is an intervention.
In everything that you’ve needed to know, somewhere along the line a mom probably taught you. Let’s revisit some of those lessons:
My mother taught me logic: “If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me,” as well as, “If everyone else jumped off a cliff would you do it too?”
My mother taught me medicine: “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way.”
My mother taught me to think ahead: “If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job!”
My mother taught me to meet a challenge: “What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you. Don’t talk back to me!”
My mother taught me humor: “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”
My mother taught me how to become an adult: “If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”
My mother taught me about genetics: “You are just like your father!”