Ow: Our Toddler’s Good Friday Meditation

At 3pm on Good Friday, we went to Mass to commemorate Jesus’ death on the cross.

The parish Crucifix is not up on Good Friday. After the Scriptures are read, the priest and altar servers process with it while the congregation sings about the cross. The cross, with Jesus hanging on it, is left at the front of the church, at our level. People come forward and take a moment with this reminder of Jesus death, not unlike a Protestant altar call. It is done publically and individually and is very meaningful. Some people genuflect, others bow, some just take a moment to observe Jesus’s wounds. Some touch those wounds and others kiss the feet of the carving of Jesus. God knows that many of us are kinesthetic learners, and it’s a chance to remind ourselves of the significance of Good Friday. It’s a meditative act.

Steve was holding our 6 month old, Pieter, and I had Sebastian who is 18 months. We were sitting just a few pews from the front, in full view of the carving of Jesus on the cross. As I got up to go forward with Sebastian in my arms, I whispered in his ear that we were going to go look at Jesus’s “owie’s.” I didn’t think he paid attention.

I got to the statue, and would normally have knelt and prayed for a moment, but Sebastian is too heavy for me to do that. So I bowed and touched Jesus’s feet. Specifically, the nails in his feet. I said to Sebastian, “Look, this is Jesus’s owie.” Again, he didn’t seem to take notice.

I was only about three paces away from the cross, heading back to our seat, when Sebastian said firmly, “Ow.” He looked over my shoulder at Jesus’s likeness and said again, “Ow.” He repeated it solemnly a few more times while I made my way back to our pew.

We sat together, Sebastian in my arms, studying the carving of Jesus. He said, “Ow” to himself a few times. Then he saw how many people walked by us to go forward. Every few people, he declared to them loudly, “OW!” I think he was telling them what they’d see when they got up there, or perhaps he was sharing his revelation to all the people as they passed by.

Sebastian’s ow’s were right on target, the content appropriate for the day, but I was afraid that some people would find it distracting, so I started trying to get him to be quiet about it. I whispered to him that he should think about Jesus’s ow, but not be loud about it because people were praying. His ow’s came less frequently, but didn’t stop for most of the rest of Mass. Some of his ow’s were to himself, but many still declarative.

The ow’s evolved shortly before Mass was over. Sebastian started saying, “Ow, Jesus!” and “Jesus, ow.” He was saying Jesus with emphasis, and the ow was now secondary. He was focused now on the person of Jesus as the one who suffered.

I’m not sure when I realized that Sebastian was meditating on the meaning of Good Friday, on what Jesus did for us. He likely doesn’t understand the depth of it, but he did grasp that Jesus suffered, and suffered severely. His “Ow” and “Jesus, ow”’s lasted at least 45minutes, and even cropped up a couple of times on the 20-minute drive home.

I’m so touched and amazed at the depths of our son. I never dreamed that an 18 month old would meditate on the meaning of Good Friday, and yet he did. He mulled it over, pondered it in his heart, and did so publically. I hope people were touched and not annoyed at his declarations of Jesus’s suffering.

Thank you, Jesus, for my son. Than you, Jesus, that you endured the great OW for us. Amen.

@ancient_scribe I thought you'd enjoy this

Just a few photos because I don't have much chance to write.  I'm trying to get the Big Toes novel in shape to publish on Kindle when I have my 1day/week babysitting, and there's not much time for anything else if I maintain my focus.

                                           Here is Pieter after the Ash Wednesday service at church. I didn't realize they gave ashes to babies. Very cool!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Sebastian's greatest joy is water. Bath time is like baby pool time indoors. See his joy?  

                                                                                                                                    Both boys are in high chairs these days                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Here's our escape artist trying to figure out the deadbolt on the door to the garage.                                                                                                                                                                            I was trying to figure out how to get Sebastian to smile for pictures. I said, "Who is silly like Daddy?" and this brought on the dimples!                                                                                                                                                                                                                  We just started Pieter on baby cereal.                                                                                                                                                                                                              Our boys already enjoy playing together. Here is Pieter surprising Sebastian with a kiss.                                

Happy Day to You!

Hi Everyone,

Parenting a 15mo and a 3mo simultaneously has meant giving up on Xanga time among other things. However, it's wonderful. Rewarding. I miss you all so I thought I'd drop by to say Merry Christmas and share a few photos. 

We're doing well. We're moving again in March, but not far. I have to admit I'm getting tired of the Southwest. I'd prefer more variety in locale, culture and terrain. But I know that God is up to something and trust that the move will be good for us.

Above is a photo of us the day we finalized Pieter's adoption. Miraculously, we were able to do that two months early. That will save us thousands of dollars in the adoption tax credit and we'll be able to recover some of the costs of the adoption.

Next is Sebastian in the family van, on a drive home during sunset.

Here is Sebastian being silly after getting home from a road trip:

And here we are with Santa and Mrs. Clause on base, the week after Thanksgiving. Sebastian doesn't like Santa in person, but he's okay with Santa on TV.

Here is Pieter mid-November, the weekend we finalized his adoption. His birth mom is a pale, blue-eyed red head. His birth father's race is in question. It's fun to wonder. Any thoughts?

Here is one of Pieter's many expressive looks:

I love this photo of Pieter:

We visited my brother's family over Thanksgiving. Here's Sebastian with his two cousins. They're all wearing their National Park gear.

And here's Sebastian loving on his little brother.

We wish you peace, joy and fulfillment this Christmas and always!

I've noticed that Sebastian calls out "Daddy!!!"

every time he gets frustrated or upset at any time of day or night.

It got me thinking that I should do that more often

with my Father in Heaven.