My mom’s nickname was Punky. To me she was always mom, but I’d hear “Punk” or “Punky” all the time from my Nanny, Pappeye, aunts, uncles, and other relatives. She was mom to me — except when I was Lil’Bit’s age. Then I guess she was mommy. Now that we’ve got that squared away, in the immortal words of Bugs Bunny: on with the show, this is it.
I’ll admit, while I was a key participant, I’ve only been reminded of this story from when I was about five. And I’m 100% sure I’d never cry for my mommy, so at least part of this is probably not accurate. But here we go.
I loved Charles Schulz’s “Great Pumpkin” story, so for Halloween my mom worked hard on a Great Pumpkin costume for the parade at school. All the parents were invited and it was a big deal. I was dressed up and so excited. The Great Pumpkin picked me to help lead the parade. It was fun — for a few minutes. Then it wasn’t. I’d noticed my mommy wasn’t there to see my big moment. I started crying. (Hearsay, I dare say.)
Mom, as soon as she could, pulled me off to the side and showed me she’d been there the whole time as the Great Pumpkin. Things got back on track.
What brought this back up was last night at Trunk or Treat with Lil’Bit — the crazy hat I wore, and thinking about every costume I’ve chosen over the past two decades with the OG Lil’Bit.
Showing up is important. As Christ put it in Mark’s passage, the kids matter most. We need to show them that being present means, as Paul said, that with the Spirit’s guidance we can put on different mantles for different folks — while still remembering the little ones need the special care.
Just a thought from a guy who learned a valuable lesson from his mommy, the greatest Punky that ever lived.
Bible Verses
1 Corinthians 9 / Mark 10:13-16
Questions
What lessons do you remember your mom and dad teaching you?
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