On a very special day, our Kara was born. She, being the fifth child, has sent us over to a new world. A world where we are no longer parents to just 'four'. I say this because over the past few months in various conversations, the topic has come up. Some say, "Is this your first?" As I snicker to myself, I reply no, she's number five. Or, they ask, "How many children do you have?" And again, I snicker to myself, I have five.
The response is almost always one of shock, surprise and then as the reality of my answer sinks in, it is followed by the need to touch my arm or give me a hug and say 'God Bless You' like I'm some kind of phenomenon or famous person that they need an autograph from. I find it almost comical at times. Then, I began to wonder....do I look like I'm a frazzled mom who needs to be blessed? Do I have the wearied, tired look that makes people shake their head in amazement that I can still have the strength and courage to smile :-)
This past Sunday was no different. I met a new face at church and as to the instruction of our pastor to mingle, I began talking with this woman. At the end of our brief conversation, she asked the usual question of how many kids I had. And then I responded with my usual response of five. I got the usual touching of the arm and the usual 'God Bless You'. During the service, she kept looking over at me and giving me a smile. Perhaps she was thinking I was a little off in the head or perhaps she was trying to figure out what made me tick.
At the end of the service, she came up to me one more time not to talk but to give me a kiss on the cheek. Imagine that, I thought to myself. I got a kiss. Now this is not what I was expecting, especially not from a stranger. Perhaps she felt the need and followed through with it. I don't know. I guess maybe in some sense, it helped her. I do hope, though, that when I am in the grocery store, the gas station or Starbucks, that the people I meet do not necessarily need to give me a kiss.
Perhaps, the touching of the arm and the God Bless You isn't so bad after all.
3 comments:
Hee hee...
It never fails to amaze me that 5 kids can bring out all sorts of animation in a person.
What gets me is the ones who say, flat out, "Your nuts!" with a shake of the head.
Gotta love honesty! LOL
Hee hee...
It never fails to amaze me how people will respond to 5 children.
The reaction I like most is the, "You're nuts!" with a shake of the head.
It cracks me up every time! LOL
It makes me wonder, however, that I may be nuts but what does that make my grandma who raised thirteen?
I think it's wild, I don't know why people respond that way, I mean it's not like there's seven kids or eight or ten... lol. I mean, they move around a lot and sometimes get counted twice, but there's really not that many...
unless they are all sick at once, then it seems like a lot ;-)
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