The Perfect Family?

We have a perfect family. We have four cute kids. They are very well-behaved. They get good grades on their report cards. They are quiet and polite in church. They are always smiling and happy. They get along with others. They get along with each other. They do what they're told and say "please" and "thank you" at the appropriate times. People we hardly know tell us all the time how great our kids are. We have a perfect family.

We do NOT have a perfect family. We have four kids. They are loud and unruly. They forget to do their homework. When they actually do their homework, they forget to turn it in. Their hair often looks like a bird has made a nest on the top of their heads. They occasionally leave strange puddles on the carpet floor. They scream because there is not enough milk in their cereal. They scream because there is too much milk in their cereal. They pick at each other. They pick on each other. They pick their noses. (And sometimes they eat what they have picked!) They are ungrateful and entitled. We do NOT have a perfect family.

There is no such thing as a perfect family. But, everything I said in that first paragraph is true. Our kids can be good and fantastic and wonderful. And, everything I said in that second paragraph is also true. Our kids can be terrible and horrible and annoying. That's what it's like trying to raise a family in real life.

We may not have a perfect family, but we do have perfect moments.

Sometimes, they actually get along with each other!

There are moments when the kids share with each other without being told to do so. There are moments when they do their chores without being asked. There are moments when they are playing together and they are all getting along and laughing. There are moments when they are polite and grateful. There are moments when they eat all of their vegetables. There are moments when they tell you that they love you, and you can tell they really mean it.

Those are the moments that make up for having to endure all of the fighting, the screaming, the whining, the pouting, the attitude, and the occasional strange puddles.

There's no such thing as a perfect family, but there are some perfect moments. And those moments make it all worthwhile.