WHERE DEVOTION RESIDES

Our first and foremost allegiance lies with our children. Supporting them. Loving them. Sacrificing our needs for them, despite our desires. It is going to their school functions when we know it would mean the world to them. Thus was the case today with the school's Thanksgiving lunch.

I arrived at the school in time to see my son standing in line for the opportunity to get a tray of cafeteria food. My children never eat in the cafeteria, but today was a special day. When my son spotted me I could see he was on the verge of tears. A few seconds later he started to cry. I wondered why he was so sad. It turns out one of the reasons was the fact he really did not wish to eat the food at school. The other reason was that he missed me.

My boy embraced me and soon started to feel better. His father also showed up to the lunch, something I was not expecting but which both children appreciated. Placing children and family above work is something we must all do. Work is important, but family comes first. Always and above anything else. If we get fired from a job, we get another job. If we neglect our families, we risk losing them and there is no replacing a family as it once was.

Despite knowing my boy would not eat anything on the tray, we made our way to the front of the line. In the end, he chose the orange which was part of the display above the food trays. An orange, the pumpkin pie square, and the chocolate chip cookie I baked for him this morning. This was my son's lunch.

Cinnamon was delighted to see I came to her lunch. She did not expect it but I was happy to see her eyes light up and have her embrace me. Later in the evening, when she came to stay with me, she thanked me for coming to her lunch. Children notice when we put them first. They notice where our devotion resides. The little things are ones which matter most.