WORDS BY:
Wendy Cunningham
Honest Conversations with Wendy DI RT Y WAT E R IT'S BALL SEASON in the Cunningham household. Baseball for the boys, softball for the girl, coaching for dad, and juggling for mom. Any day of the week, whether it be a practice or a game, you can find me seated on those stiff wooden bleachers cheering for one of my kids. Last night, as we rooted for my oldest son, I periodically scanned the surrounding area for my eleven-year-old daughter while she circled the field with friends at her side and a snow cone in her hand. Our town is small and safe, but there is still that tinge of panic when I look for her and can’t find her right away. I’m sure she’s there, but … what if she’s not? This thought has plagued every parent since the dawn of time. Even Mary faced this same fear as she searched the caravan for her adolescent Jesus. Where was He? Was He with His dad? A family member? I imagine as she grew more frantic her internal struggle went from attempting to calm herself down to picturing all the horrendous things that could have already become of her beloved son. Scholars believe this story is included in the Bible so we can see that Jesus understood He was the Son of God from a young age. I’m convinced it’s there to comfort us mamas. Even Mary lost Jesus, and He turned out just fine. As a kid growing up in the 80s, I remember leaving the house on my bike—no cell phone, no GPS locator, leaving behind no list of friends I’d be with—just living my best life. I’m sure my mom worried, but things were different then. She certainly wasn’t concerned I’d be shot by another kid at school. I doubt she wondered whether someone was suggesting to me that perhaps I was really a boy trapped in a girl’s body.
"As a kid growing up in the 80s, I remember leaving the house on my bike—no cell phone ... I’m sure my mom worried, but things were different then."
PLAIN VALUES
JUNE 2023
47
