Mar
23
And just for the record, when we Northerners say, “bless her heart,” we really mean it. Like in a nice way. Correct me if I’m wrong, but when you darling Southerners say, “bless her heart,” you’re usually about to insult someone. Or you just have. No?
When I say it, I mean, “oh, that sweet little thing! She was just trying her best!” It’s like a happy little mixture of love and pity. But pity in a good way.
Am I making any ever-loving sense? Maybe there’s really no distinction.
So, tonight was a little rough around the edges. Gabe had a wonderful first day of work (and my day at home was fairly okay too), but like any First Day, it can drain you. So, he was tired, I was tired, and the girls were pretty tired too (Livi got 3 hours of sleep at a sleepover Saturday night).
Anyway, I might have maybe yelled at them while they were getting ready for bed. I had bills and taxes on the brain, and Livi has this thing about money–”When can you pay me the money you owe me? When can we get this? When will we have enough money for this?” So, when she said, “When can we get new toothbrushes? We’ve had these since right after Christmas.” I’d had it.
I DO NOT HAVE ANY MONEY RIGHT NOW! DO NOT ASK ME AGAIN FOR ONE SINGLE THING THAT COSTS MONEY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
Yes, she understood.
So, they’re all in bed (together), and I’m reading Acts 2. Lest you think I’m this amazing mom who (besides never yelling at her children) reads Scripture every night to her brood, please know that I started this nightly “tradition” last night with Acts 1, after a long, long drought of no reading before bed.
Anyway, it’s going swimmingly. They’re asking questions about the Holy Spirit. Nina’s questions are a combination of comical and heartbreaking. I read about the people being baptized in the Holy Spirit and Ava says:
“When can I get baptized?”
“You want to get baptized?”
“Yes.”
“That’s awesome, sweetie.”
We start to talk about it, and Livi pipes up, “Does it cost money to get baptized?”
Bless her heart.
“No sweetie. Jesus already paid for it. Isn’t that awesome?”
And it cost a lot more than money. It cost his blood. Thank you, Jesus.
Your girls make me want more girls. And I only ever thought I’d want boys.
Believe it or not, I am with you on the genuine meaning of “bless her heart” and although I’m deeply rooted her in the South, I think it IS a sweet saying!
But, yes, people do say it before or after a negative comment….
I’ve had several snippy moments with my young’uns lately and I’m just so thankful for grace.
Yes, thank you Jesus! Bless her heart means sweet and pitiful to me too. Rarely would it be mean, just kinda pitiful, like aw, her shoes don’t match but she tied her own shoes…bless her heart…
Love this story. Precious.
I’m a mash-up on the “Bless her heart.”
Maybe that makes me just a Midwesterner. With probably a dash more Southerner than Northerner. Because I’m also a big “God love him/her”-er…which is really a big ole “bless his/her heart.”
And now I’ve confused myself.
1 – love this. Even tho I simply cannot envision you yelling at your kids.
2 – Bless your heart is really more about pity than insult. Like, “Bless her heart, I bet she just has no idea that her boobs are just hangin out of that shirt so far that my husband can barely concentrate on the sermon!” But it is just as often very sincere.
3 – I can’t really relate to this post though, being that I am the perfect mother who would never, like, be giving my son a lecture on how he needs to uses his words to be kind and loving to his sister and then tell him to “shut up” right in the middle of said lecture when he interrupted said lecture. On the way to church. So, sorry, can’t relate.
marla, that made me cry. and think. and sob. and seek forgiveness from my own little girl. thank you for being so open and letting God use you to reach me.