Park Season is Approaching

Today we made a stop at "The Target Park" in Fairview. It has been a long-time-favorite of our family. This will be Weston's first year where being at a park means more to him than "Taking My Afternoon Nap in the Car Seat" or "Putting All Objects No Matter the Size, Smell, or Jaggedness Into My Mouth." In our short time at the park, he enjoyed the slide and the stairs leading up to it. Weston really doesn't put everything in his mouth anymore, but still I chose today to pop his binki in his mouth, as that tends to mitigate the oral situation nicely.

While we were there, a father and son were also enjoying the park. His first words to me were, "WE broke him (pointing to his son) of his binki at SIX MONTHS." An awkward pause filled the air as I filtered the information and determined just what he was insinuating. I decided that his prefrontal cortex was misfiring, and he did not allow his thoughts to properly channel through that vital section of the frontal lobe. No worries. He was a nice enough man, as was his son - a 3 year old boy of sixty-three pounds (another prefrontal cortex misfire that dad offered up for no apparent reason).

The father continued to make casual conversation in a slightly socially awkward way and I smiled and added to the conversation when I could think of appropriate responses to his string of comments. It was sort of a funny interaction and it caught me off guard but now that I am home and blogging, it occurs to me that I need to be ready to give a response when fellow parental park-goers engage me in conversation - or better yet, when I step out and engage them. The parks are a great opportunity to be a witness for Christ and share the love He has for those kids and parents alike. I am looking forward to the interactions, and asking the Lord that he would set up some divine appointment this season. And that I would be ready to give an answer - even if I do feel slightly socially awkward doing it.