This was the last week of first grade for Sienna!
It was a busy week – early morning meetings and rushing out the door to get to school on time – meant that I couldn’t park and walk Sienna into her classroom on Monday and Tuesday. She’d recently warmed to the idea of being dropped off at the front of the school, after claiming it was “Too scary!” for most of the year.
When I had to drop her off on Tuesday morning, because we were running late, I promised Sienna that I’d park and walk her in the next day.
Wednesday morning we were making our way down the hill to school when I noticed a lot of cars parked on the side streets. “Do the Kindergartner’s have a performance today?” I wondered aloud. When we pulled into the parking lot, we learned what was going on: Fifth Grade Promotion, in the Multipurpose Room. Oh man, there was no way I’d find a parking spot.
“Lovie, I’m not going to be able to park. Fifth grade promotion is right now and everything is full,” I told Sienna.
“But, you promised to walk me in,” she replied.
“I know I did. But, I didn’t know that the promotion was this morning. I’m sorry, Babe. Sometimes things happen that I can’t control.”
A brief moment of silence and then Sienna said…
“It’s okay. Sometimes even good moms make mistakes.”
A lump immediately formed in my throat.
“Yes, that’s true. And when we do we need our children to forgive us,” I told her, looking at her in the rearview mirror.
“I forgive you.”
Life is sometimes so poignant and real, it hurts. This moment was so precious because I saw that Sienna is starting to understand grace and forgiveness. Dennis and I are trying to model our parenting after the relationship between God and us. We offer one another forgiveness, without guilt or retribution, because that’s how God forgives us through Christ.
Being forgiven for accidently breaking a promise to my child reminded me that sometimes the problems in life provide opportunities for connection, love, and joy.
Thank you Lord for this moment of grace.
