Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Out of the mouths of Babes

People have asked me at various times since we moved here if we feel safe. I recently got this question from a good friend after mentioning that I'd gone out walking early that morning. I had to laugh. Truth was, I did get creeped out a bit...that is, when I got to the "nice/white" section of town and found that I was completely alone between empty, two-income homes and a construction site. If I'd been grabbed up, no one would've even heard me scream. Back here on my side of town, I got waves, smiles, and even a big hug from one our middle schoolers waiting at the bus stop. So, the way I see it --the scariest neighborhood is the one full of strangers with tightly-drawn blinds and manicured lawns. But it's not just me...


Sunday nights have become a sort of family worship time for us. Usually, we light a candle or two, sing along with Tim and his guitar, and then pray for families and situations in our community. This past weekend, we put the little people down for the night and then migrated to the front porch. It was quite dark as we huddled under blankets and sang and chatted. Having read the entire Little House series to our kids over the years, Tim mentioned that he felt a little like Pa with his fiddle at the close of the day. "This ain't the prairie." I chimed in. "Not the big woods either" he added. Then Mamoune said, "I'm glad it's not the big woods! If it was, I'd be scared to go outside in the dark."

Oftentimes, perception defines reality. But it's awfully fun when reality corrects our perception.