This morning at Adoration I looked down to drop the kneeler and encountered a lone little cheerio. I picked it up and popped it in my back pocket to throw away later, but first I rolled it around in my hand for a moment and smiled.
It reminded me of my grandson, and his sweet ability to snuggle with me and be content to sit in my lap endlessly, wanting nothing more than to be held and reveling in that comfort and then in a split second want to squirm away to explore. I’ve seen first hand how a fistful of cheerios or goldfish instantly calms the explorer.
That rogue cheerio tells me that a little one was here at Adoration, and maybe, after getting a little restless, Mom or Dad, or maybe Grandma, offered some cheerios in exchange for a little more quiet time. It probably worked for a little while, too. I’m sure they cleaned up after themselves even though this last rogue cheerio escaped. Perhaps I was meant to find it and pray for the family that sat in that pew before me.
So pray I did, and not just for this family, but for all the families with young children who may struggle but make the effort to go to church. Who sometimes feel judged or unwelcomed and keep coming back. Next time you feel an unkind look in your direction, remember there’s a grandma somewhere in Adoration, remembering you in prayer. Cheerios optional.
What a lovely post! Our parish encourages families with young children, and we can often find bits of snack food, crayons, even colored markers on the pew or under the pew. We sit in the back because my husband is in a wheelchair, and the back pews are designed for a wheelchair to fit in and not block the main aisle. Families with young children tend to sit back there, too, and we enjoy very much being near the children.
That’s lovely! I remember my anxiety as a young mother trying to keep the troops in order. I wish I had known that there were more people delighted than upset at any shenanigans that ensued.