My Faith and Joy… and Boys!

It’s no longer unfathomable to me that humans have so many conflicts, battles, and wars between each other.  We’re all essentially toddlers at heart.  We were born into this world bathed in original sin, fraught with jealousies and selfishness.  It’s not natural for us to want to share.  It’s not natural for us to want to put others ahead of ourselves.  We have to be taught, over and over and over again, to sublimate our personal desires and practice generosity.  That is why we need a Savior – to remedy this state of sin that plagues us from the beginning.  Without an atonement for our sins, they will eternally keep us from God. 

I guess you can say I’m a bit weary lately of trying to instill good habits in the girls.  It seems like no matter how many times I show them how to share and take turns, they just don’t internalize the lessons for longer than a minute or two.  As soon as Susie starts playing with a toy, Becky tosses aside her own toy and lunges for her sister’s.  Or as soon as Becky starts flipping through a book, Susie pushes in and tries to turn the pages herself. 

I know it’s early in their development to expect much from them in terms of socially acceptable behavior; perhaps the strength of my desire for them to be polite and respectful to each other is clouding the realization that they’re only toddlers.  After all, it’s not like I’ve even mastered my own selfish impulses.  I often find myself echoing the words of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:18-19: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing.”  Even once we are saved from the eternal penalty of our sins, we still find ourselves battling the earthly effects. 

So I suppose I ought to take a deep breath and cut the girls some slack.  And I ought to celebrate every little triumph over their inborn tendencies toward selfishness.  Like this morning, when Becky finished her waffle before Susie and started begging for her sister’s remaining piece.  With only a little prompting from me, Susie tore off a piece of her cherished breakfast and handed it to her grateful sister.  Nevermind that the piece was barely visible to the naked eye.  Both girls were thrilled with the exchange, as was I! 

Becky (on left): “Am I looking in a mirror?”

Becky (on right): “I’m positively squirmy with excitement at being with mom’s dear friend Jayme!”

Becky (on left): “Even bath time is more fun in North Carolina!”

Becky: “This place is like a resort – it even has an indoor slide!”

Becky: “AND it has its own library, complete with perfectly sized chairs.”

Susie: “Don’t forget the perfectly sized laptops.  I think we’re in heaven.” 

Susie: “Aunt Sharyn, can we stay with you forever and ever?”

We flew back today from visiting friends and family in North Carolina.  I couldn’t have asked for anything more from this week, other than warmer temperatures.  It was basically the same temperature in North Carolina as it was in Connecticut, so we didn’t get to make any outdoor adventures like I had hoped.  But we had plenty of wonderful indoor time with my aunt, uncle, cousins and their children, as well as my dearest high school friend.  I am so thankful that my mom was able to fly out to accompany us and make this happen.  I haven’t had a chance to sort through the pictures yet, but here’s one of the girls enjoying a tea party with their cousins (technically, I think they are second cousins, but that’s too much of a mouthful.  The girls were just thrilled to be around girls who take their tea-partying as seriously as they do!)

Susie and Becky: “Mom, I think you messed up and put rain boots on us again.”

Becky (on right): “I could strangle you for taking us out here in the cold without proper footwear!”

Susie: “Before you strangle Mom, could you get the snow off my rain boot?  I can’t reach my feet.”

Susie (on left): “Man, I think I got a snowflake on my pretty coat.  Do you see it?  Can you get it?”

Susie (on left): “That’s not a snowflake – that’s my ear!  Leave it alone!”

Susie (on left): “Sorry for yelling at you, sis.  Here, let me brush some snow off your coat.”

Becky (on right): “Yoohoo, we’re getting bored out here!  This is the last picture!”

Becky (on right): “Sis, it’s mutiny time!  We may be too chicken to get off this step, but we refuse to look cute for any more pictures!”