Grateful For Broken & Healing Hearts

I love it when the boy does chores. At times it’s hard to get him to do them. And at times he protests. But then he complies and I know that it’s character building. One of the things I like to see him do is wash the dog. He takes such care and talks to her the entire time she’s undergoing her perceived torture.

He takes the same care with his friends. That’s what makes me the most proud.

Last weekend, a good friend of the boy’s came over. He will remain an un-named LCAT but you know him from multiple appearances on my blog. He came over because his girlfriend broke up with him and he needed some company so he came to talk to the boy. It was dinner time so perhaps he didn’t intend to speak to us – his family -  as well, but as it turns out, it was unavoidable. We knew why he came by.

I could see the hurt in his eyes immediately, there was raw emotion and confusion. It was a look that I dread seeing in my own kids, it hurts enough to see it in the eyes of their friends.

How do I feel about kids dating in high school? I’m against it. That being said, I dated in high school – it’s why I’m against it. And now not one but both my kids have “boy/girlfriends.”

Many of their friends are dating also. They are so young. Their Youth Pastor told them over and over that if they date in high school, they are dating their next ex-boy/girlfriend. But it’s difficult to get that message across, our kids will hear but not really listen. And maybe it’s an unavoidable part of just living life.

I’ll see that same look in the eyes of my own kids one day. Ah me. I am dreading it, truly dreading it. This coming from someone who has been there and done it.

My only hope is that my kids and their friends have more confidence, more maturity and more “sense” than I did. It will help to buffer the inevitable blow on their tender and young egos.

So we talked to the LCAT for a while. The husband didn’t even give him a hard time when he told us that he was going to major in Liberal Arts when he goes to college next year. That would normally have warranted a comment or two on any other night. We watched some Monty Python – that will cheer anyone up – and then he and the boy then went downstairs as the rest of us prepared for bed. The next day the husband went to wake them up for church and found the lights on, the television blaring an infomercial over and over again while the two boys snored on the couch.

Heart break is heart breaking. I wanted to tell him that God is closest to those with broken hearts, but he’s doesn’t believe in God – yet. We all know life goes on and we all know that time heals all wounds – or most wounds. But at that moment, all I wanted to do was hug him. Poor boy.

Like northern stars, today, I’m even grateful for broken hearts and their inevitable healing.