Masterpiece Moments

This story is taken from "Being Enough," by Chieko Okazaki:

"It was a hot afternoon, and my eight-year-old son, Zeb ran off to play with his friends Mike and Devin. What walked into the kitchen a couple hours later was a body Zeb's size covered with mud. In his ears, his nose, his hair, around his eyes, the stuff was all over him.

"Although my mouth dropped open, words momentarily failed me. When I found my voice, I asked in amazement, 'What did you do?'

"'Oh, we were just playing in some mud,' Zeb answered with classic understatement.

"I wasn't sure if I should lecture him or laugh. So I drew him a bath instead, hoping the wisdom of an appropriate response would come to me soon.

"As the tub was filling, Zeb said, 'Mike was in big trouble when his mom saw him.'

"'What did she say?' I asked, feeling a kinship with Mike's mom.

"'You get in here right now!'"

I stifled a laugh.... Devin was being cared for by his grandma that day, and I asked how she had responded to the awful sight. Zeb smiled... 'She said, "Wow! You're a masterpiece!"

" And suddenly it was my heart's prayer that, before he's fully grown, I'll ... respond to my son's childhood as wisely and as lightly as Devin's grandma. At least, occasionally."

"If we don't have time for masterpiece moments, the very reason we came to earth is being wasted on us."

Beautiful thoughts? Don't you think?