Hey, I figure if my three year old can say it, then I can write it. Yeah, that’s right. We’ve had our first profanity. Not really the kind of milestone a parent dreams of for their child. First tooth? How cool! First word? How wonderful! First step? How great! First swear word? Well, not so much.
But, here we are nonetheless. A little bit of background. Megan, our sweet, precious, gentle creature of a child is gently careening through a defiant phase of life. And as this phase unfurls itself in the midst of our home, my wife and I are noticing new words and phrases entering her daily vernacular. “No!” and “I won’t!” are becoming old standards. And occasionally she’ll mix in a nice “Uh-Uh!” or “Stop it!”
Don’t get me wrong, Meg is not a bad kid. Not even close. In fact, she has a wonderful spirit, and she adds an immeasurable amount of life to our home. And that’s what makes this whole episode so memorable. And so unexpected.
Allow me to set the scene. 2:36 pm-Moments before the offending word flies forth, Megan is committing the crime for which she will be sent to her bedroom. I honestly don’t remember what she did, although it’s safe to say it involved a roundhouse kick to the back of her brother’s head. Or a judo chop to the throat. 2:37 pm-Beth sends Megan to her bedroom with the instruction to stay there until Mommy comes to speak with her. 2:37 pm-Megan runs screaming to her bedroom. 2:38 pm-Upon entering the bedroom, Megan slams her hand down on her dresser and yells “dammit!”.
Beth and I looked at each other with that “Did we just hear what we thought we just heard?” look. Beth walks into Meg’s room and asks her what she just said. And she defiantly blurted it out again!
So, after the talk about naughty words, the swat on the backside, and the additional beating with a baseball bat made out of molten hot metal (you gotta nip these things in the bud, you know), Beth and I were left to ponder what in the world compels the heart of a three year old child.
Quite a day. I learned that I love my kids, even though they are nowhere near perfect. And I am thankful that they love their daddy, even though he is nowhere near perfect. I was also reminded of the depth of God’s love for people. People are defiant. And selfish. And mean. Yet, He loves us. Quite a God.
And I know this…I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.
