milkshake #2: tolerant

I KNOW this seems like such a ridiculously selfish project, during Lent at that! And yet, yesterday I was able to hear two whole compliments that came my way, in a way that I think I wouldn't have otherwise, because...well, because I was looking for good things about myself? And looking for things is not infrequently an effective way to find them?

That said, today was Friday which means playgroup which means draining. But as I've been thinking about how to extract myself from this situation, I've realized that there are some playgroupy things I feel very protective of. Like I think that I do a decent job of creating an environment where the parents and kids can come and be themselves - come and go as appropriate to their schedules, eat or not eat, play quietly or loudly, make a bit of a mess, crawl through the altar*... A place as free as possible from the rules and judgement and shaming that plague so much of parenting-in-public. So what's that? Tolerant. I think I'm tolerant.

*I know that sounds bad, but they aren't hurting anything, and if you make an altar with tempting kid-sized tunnels running through it, you're asking for it, imho. Also, curiosity and exploration are things we could use a lot more of in the church, right?