Just a week or so ago I had one of those wonderful mommy moments.  You know, the kind you pray and hope for, but sometimes seem as though they’ll never come. 

Carter, our youngest son who is 6 years old, is what we call a “runner.”  When bad things happen to him, when he gets hurt, mad or embarrassed, he runs away from me instead of to me for help.  We have been trying to teach him in all kinds of different ways that we are here to help him and that he can trust us. 

Last week we had some friends over to play and Carter got his feelings hurt by something his brother and his friend said to him.  I heard some commotion in the living room and could see by the look on his face that something was wrong.  You know the type of look I am talking about.  He came over to me and I asked him what was wrong.  This is typically when he would start to cry and take off running into the other room and I would follow him and try to coax an explanation out of him.  But to my surprise, this time he asked me to pick him up and I carried him into my bedroom and closed the door.  He laid his head on my shoulder and started to cry.  He then explained to me that his feelings were hurt.  We talked about that for a minute or two and then I said, “Hey Buddy, I am so proud of you.  Do you know why?”  Carter replied, “Because I came to you when I needed help instead of running away.”  It just melted my heart. 

We have been working with Carter for nearly three years to help him understand the importance of running to us, not away from us.  We want him to not only know but also experience that we are always here for him – to help him, to meet his needs, to comfort him and to help him get back on track. 

I cannot fully express how thankful I am for the blessing of moments like this.  Moments when all the hard work and practice we put into being the kind of parents our kids need us to be begins to pay off.  Moments when the connection between me and my children is deepened and strengthened.  Moments when my kids experience that I am here to help, and I always will be.  It is moments like this that keep me going when the going gets tough.

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