God really is a mother’s best friend

The good Lord is a mother’s best friend. That why He created her with eyes at the back of her head that no one can see. Or how else do you explain how she is able to tell with just one look, one sound, one sniff or one touch, what you, her errant child, has been up to?

My friend of many years was visiting recently with her toddler daughter, whose energy levels could rival a power plant, by the way. Within minutes of their arrival, we got busy removing breakables from her reach – a small elephant carving we have had for a while recently lost its trunk thanks to her activities during a previous visit.

Her mother and I got into a lengthy conversation but every so often, she’d stop and call out to the little girl with a warning tone. Sure enough, whenever the child heard her mother’s voice, she would emerge from wherever she was quietly crouching and doing the wrong thing – either attempting to eat a non-food item, or tip-toeing to reach something that had been moved out of her reach.

The belly ring

I usually tell our young ones that I do not need to snoop around to discover what they’re up to. If I am meant to know something, the good Lord will bring it right under my nose. Take, for instance, the time our older girl though it would be a good idea to get a belly piercing despite the hubby and I saying no when she asked.

One day, I innocently asked her to help me change a light bulb in the sitting room. The plan was for her to climb onto the stool that was perched precariously on a chair while I held them steady. As she stretched her hands overhead to switch the bulbs, her tee-shirt rode up slightly and there it was – a fresh belly piercing. Needless to say, the whole neighbourhood heard my opinion on the matter and I don’t think she will ever forget the way fate turned against her and exposed her disobedience in the strangest way.

The infected tattoo

A few years before that, my niece had chosen to get a tattoo against her parents’ wishes. All seemed to be going well – until the area became infected and she had to reveal to them what she had done because she needed medical attention. In addition to the unexpected twist, she had to deal with their wrath. As mothers, my sisters and I like to exchange notes and enjoy a good laugh because we know God is on our side.

This takes me back to my growing up years, when my mother would walk in from work and know within minutes that I had been watching TV when I was supposed to be doing my homework. The mystery was that when I heard her at the gate, I would switch off the telly and hurriedly sit at the dining table where my pre-opened books lay, head down in total concentration.

But after a few minutes, she would ask ominously, “Were you watching TV?” I’d give her a look that hopefully communicated how ridiculous the question was because, as she could clearly see, I was busy doing my homework! As she would leave the room muttering all manner of threats, the million-dollar question for me was: How did she know??

Fast-forward to when our two oldest were youngsters and I had learnt the trick. They were not allowed to watch TV on school nights but of course, they flouted the rule every so often. Like me, they would scramble to switch it off when they heard me at the gate and run to their rooms or into the backyard in a great effort to appear innocent of all wrongdoing. That meant they were not there to see me place my hand on the back of the telly to check its temperature. When they were grown, they admitted that it was the puzzle of the year – how did I know? I guess they’ll have to start their own families to confirm that God really is a mother’s best friend.