Shauna Letellier

Rest & Relief for Ragged Souls

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An Unconventional Valentine

By shauna 2 Comments

It was what you might call an unconventional valentine. Early and unexpected. The best kind.

It didn’t come with doilies, construction paper, glue or conversation hearts.

Small things with great love Life Verse Design

Artwork by Julie Chen. Click to order your print.

There were no chocolates or stuffed animals.

It was delivered to me over a table full of Mexican food as we crammed in dinner between parent teacher conferences and basketball practice.

As it often does, our dinner conversation turned sour, and we landed on the subject of halitosis–bad breath.

I’m not sure if it was the garlic or the refried beans that brought the topic to the fore, but in any case, the boys began to discuss the perils and hilarity of bad breath–their own and that of others.

They mocked each other about morning breath and other unpleasantries.

And though I was laughing a little inside, I bemoaned the fact that our conversations rarely cover topics that matter, and so frequently digresses into the realm of gross.

Maybe it’s just boys.

Maybe I haven’t been diligent about redirecting or disciplining this kind of dinner conversation.
Maybe both.

In any case, it was the most unlikely time or place to receive a valentine.

But I did.

As the laughter died down about decaying teeth and horrible breath, one of the boys looked at me and said, “Mom, thanks for making us brush our teeth.”

I almost choked on my chips.

I wanted to laugh, cry and shout “Olé!”

 It may not seem like a big deal. Certainly a different kind of valentine.

And though he would deny it to the death, I’m choosing to believe it was an adolescent-boy’s way to say “I love you.”

And I will take that over chocolates any day.

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Filed Under: Motherhood, Silly Stuff

Comments

  1. Abbey says

    February 22, 2016 at 1:31 pm

    Words of affirmation do wonders to our hearts especially coming from our kids… this is great reminder how God sees us and wants our relationship to be with Him.

    Reply
    • shauna says

      February 22, 2016 at 9:54 pm

      I agree, Abbey. 🙂

      Reply

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HI THERE!

I’m Shauna, and I help worn-out Christians find permanent rest and relief by retelling gospel stories that highlight Jesus’ kindness toward ordinary people like us.

In my books and on this blog, I weave history, theology, and fictional detail into a fresh retelling of familiar Bible stories. I started writing them because I needed them. When I shared my stories, people said they made the Bible come to life.

If you could use some permanent rest and relief, download my free Bible story devotional.

 

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