This is the color of money. The color of vanity. The color of twelve. The color of boy. The color of entering junior high. The color of special needs. The color of my love for my son.We just got these glasses in February. They have been broken since some time near the beginning of the summer break. We tried all manner of trying to fix them and landed on this mess of glue of all glues. We always had the intention of getting him new ones to start school with. He's moving up to junior high after all and looking funny will make life harder for him. They help him see as they were designed. But they LOOK like an invitation to a festive ridicule party. Today was the day for the new exam and new glasses and because our insurance covers 1 exam per year, and no glasses ~ the whole episode was out of pocket. $308 later I feel stressed and irritable. I generally do not have a lot of empathy for matters that I consider to be vanity, but I do care for my son. There are certain things that he cannot avoid just because of who God made him. He HAS to have glasses. They HAVE to be bifocals. So the questions become, do they HAVE to be glued? Does the line HAVE to show? Do we HAVE to send him into an environment that is already fraught with yucky teenage emotion and behavior, where he is certain to be picked on for the state of his four eyes or is it within our means to help him avoid some of that burden? And, if it is within our means, is it reasonable to fork out that much money for appearances?
It was within our budget (barely, and only because I put away money every month for our visioncare needs) And today, we believed it was reasonable. And so we paid.
Do you think he will ever understand the sacrifice and love we had for him at this moment just to help him avoid pain in his life?
Will I ever understand the sacrifice and love that my heavenly Father has for me just to help me avoid pain everlasting?
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!"
Matthew 7:11
Matthew 7:11
5 comments:
maybe it's the fever, but this post actually made me weep.
girl, this is so beautiful, and the things you do for your son are out of such a pure love, you just know it makes our Father so so so happy.
"as unto the Lord"
remember that everytime you give a child a cup of water to drink, you're doing it to Him also.
that should lessen the sting a little.
Oh, S4J, I get it. I do. My son is entering 7th grade this fall, and we've already talked about the glasses issue. He avoids wearing them, but he.needs.them! We've even been through the loss and replacement love, too (within 6 weeks of getting them!). You're right. Progressives are not cheap! Especially when, at the time, we only had catastrophic coverage. Oh, yes...Praying that your son will have a smooth start to JHS and that mine will, as well.
xxxooogretchen
Great comparison!
It's great y'all had the foresight to plan ahead for this very important need for your son. It truly is a loving sacrifice parents make for their young...but I fear it's one that may never be truly appreciated, because years from now, they'll look back on pictures of themselves in the 'fashionable' frames of the day and utter something like, "What did you let me out of the house with glasses like THOSE for, ma?" (Well, that's what my husband said to his mom a few years ago about his thick, large 1980's frames, lol. She just slugged him in the shoulder and told him he was fortunate to have any at all at the rate he went through them.)
Prayers for a great start to his school year!
You so did the right thing.
What a great post. Loved seeing the compassion and sacrifices you made for your son and the true love you have for him. What an example of Christ's love you are for your kids. Thanks for sharing.
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