Getting to Church on Time

I have to say that I had a great up bringing in Tallahassee, Florida. I had a great family and friends, and life just seemed to be a little simpler back then. During the week, my dad worked, my mom toted our carpool  back and forth to school and on Sundays we went to church.  Church…..well that’s where the happiness kind of died. First of all, I’m not saying that church was bad, it was good for me. It was the getting ready for church that was such a terror. My parents were mild mannered, sweet, and gentile southern people until it was time to get ready for church....then it was “game on”. Of course, I brought a lot of the yelling on myself as I would lay in bed until the very last minute and just before the hammer was thrust upon me, I was up and frantically getting ready while my sister and I would be reminded that we weren’t doing anything after church until our rooms were clean! “I have had enough!”, they would say. Oh…it was a true Norman Rockwell moment.  Most of my friends that spent the night remember the same kind of behavior. The worst was when I would switch beds and my dad would storm in my room to wake me up in a roaring thunder, only to find my guest in the bed instead of me. After the drill sergeant left my friend in varying degrees of shock, he would find me and continue his Sunday morning ritual that might rival the Marine Base at Paris Island. Eventually, we were up and out the door with our tail ends somewhat intact. Once we got to church, it was like it never happened and all was well. I loved getting to church.

I can’t help but to laugh about those mornings now because its seems the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. It doesn’t matter how early we get up for church, we are always trying to get out the door in the same manner as our parents. The kids can’t find shoes, jackets, or socks. “What about breakfast?”  “Tuck your shirt in!”  “I said GET DRESSED!”  “We don’t have time, get in the car!”  "Please!!!"  These are a few regular favorites of mine. Please, don’t judge us; we are just doing the best we can.  If you have never had to get kids up and to church on time, well this might be lost on you.  But, take my word for it, it isn’t easy. Anyway, I’m pretty sure our kids are glad to get to church ….just like me.  Whew!