Last night we were at a party to celebrate all that has been accomplished in developing Loveland Classical Schools. (If you haven't heard, I'm leading an effort to start a charter school. Hence, the lack of posts on this blog.)
We were at a friend's house enjoying casual conversation while the kiddos were racing around having a great time. Mid-laugh, I stopped. My mommy ears could hear the cry of MY baby, and it was the worst kind of cry. I jumped & raced toward the stairs. My little man was slowly walking down, hiccuping air and tears. It was obvious he was hurt and terribly scared.
The story came tumbling out between gulps of breath.
Owen had fallen into a 4 foot window well, crawled out himself, and limped back to the house to find us. He was shaking with terror. As I listened, hugged, and kissed--I searched his body for injuries. He was crying so hard. There was more to the story though.
A young girl relayed the whole story: Several children had been outside playing and saw a bully--seriously, a 4 y.o. that was actually taller than Owen--hitting Owen and then push him down the well. You could feel the tension in the room, and I wondered how the fathers (including my husband) were going to react.
As I continued to listen to Owen and hold his shaking body, my husband disappeared. Later I found him with the accused child, who was trying to hide behind his grandmother (who, was pushing him TOWARDS Matt). Matt was down on his knees having a talk about honor with this child--as if he was his own son. Matt was firm, but loving. I was also proud of our friends & their boys--their father was having a defend & protect your friends talk. (He's also our chiropractor, so he generously checked Owen out to put my worries at ease.) Our friend's 3 year old son said later "Next time, I'll get that guy if he's hurting Owen." It was quite adorable.
That evening as we bathed Owen, taking the opportunity to double check for injuries--just a few bruises--Owen looked at me and said "He just said 'Goodbye.'"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"He pushed me in the hole, and just said 'Goodbye.'" Shocked, I looked at Matt. Matt said that from his talk with the bully it was obvious he had no moral center or remorse, and definitely no strong father figure. Of all things, my heart ached for this bully! I was thankful that he was going to be part of our new school--a place where he'll be surrounded by teachers and parent volunteers that believe in instilling virtuous character into students.
Owen is doing good. He had a headache and was exhausted, but woke up today feeling fine--and seemingly a bit older.
I'm incredibly thankful for God's protection over my little man, and also for an incredible husband who honors God. Matt responded in a way that shows the love of God. I imagine God would've responded the same way to this boy who desperately needed someone to love him AND correct him.
