Be Careful What You Ask For

For those of you who know William and Zora, this will come as no surprise.
 

This morning I was trying to explain to my children what a blessing is.  My 7 year old daughter, Zora has taken it upon herself to volunteer to serve as an Acolyte at church.  It requires the entire family to get up and get going whether we really want to or not.  I told her that I was proud of her and that she would receive many blessings as a result.  Naturally she asked “Mommy, what’s a blessing?”  My first response was “A gift from God.”  Well, needless to say that didn’t go over well. She instantly lit up and started screaming for the convertible she has been asking for since she was 3 years old.  I had to calm her down and tell her it wasn’t a wish or a demand that was granted instantly.  As she looked at me with disappointment, I told her that a blessing was like when I went to church because my Grandmother told me to and I met her father.  I told her “had I not gone to church, I would have never met your dad and I would not have given birth to you and your brother, my true blessings.” 

After pondering my story, she responded with “Mommy, I am not sure that is true.  You didn’t need to meet Daddy, in order to have me and William.  Many of our friends do not have daddies.  Some only have mommies, some have two mommies and some have two daddies and some only have nanas.”  Before I could respond, her brother chimed in with “Yeah!  Daddy didn’t do anything.  You are the one who carried us in your tummy.  You didn’t need daddy.”

Well now I am at a loss for words.  Before I could recover, my husband jumped in and told me to leave this conversation alone and declare them the winners if we wanted to get to church on time.  At this point, all I could do was think to myself “be careful what you ask for, because you might just get it.”  When we moved to California I wanted my children to have a diverse experience.  I wanted them to make friends who had different backgrounds and to grow up with open minds and with an appreciation for different lifestyles, religions, cultures, and races.  Wow!  I got exactly what I asked for and more.

As we drove to church, my son remembered that I never answered the original question of “what is a blessing?”  I decided to return to my original definition of a gift from God for doing good work and for serving other people and I left it alone.  Hopefully, they will realize that every day they are blessed with the gift of life and love and that in my eyes, they are the greatest blessing I have ever received next to their dad.  So, when you are seeking a blessing from God, remember to be careful what you ask for, because you might just get it.  I sure did.

 

Author:   Carladenise Armbrister Edwards, Ph.D.

William and Zora's Momager