My oldest son had a rough weekend. In three separate incidents, he managed to score a busted windshield, a busted lip, and a busted nose. It’s tough being eight.

First, I want to say that we take discipline seriously, but the nose and lip were not his penalty for breaking someone’s windshield at church! Here’s what happened. He threw a long pass and overshot a little. The foolish part was that it was a golf ball. Did you know that Florida Statute 627.7288 states that insurance deductibles do not apply to windshield damages? In other words, the cost to fix it is $0. While I was happy to learn this, it requires that the parents be creative in order to teach young chaps the value of restitution.

This boyhood right of passage went well. The owner of the car, an elderly gentleman at our church, handled it wonderfully. My son will remember this incident in twenty years when his own boy breaks the neighbor’s window too. The apology was painful and a lengthy letter will follow later this week.

The bloody nose and broken lip happened while he was playing with the big boys the next day. Greg frequently warns him that injuries are part of the deal when you’re out of your league, which is tough on a mama’s heart. If he wants to scrap with someone a foot taller then he shouldn’t be surprised not to come out as the top dog. There is a pecking order, and he needs to learn his place.

I feel sorry for him, but not enough to interfere with the consequences.

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.
~Psalm 25:7