Oh, I Hope So

Brenna looked forward to her class field trip for weeks. She and her third grade class ventured out Tuesday on the much anticipated escapade with enthusiasm, poor teachers! The plan was to attend a play at the Carson Performing Arts Center and then stop for lunch at a local pizza restaurant.


She asked me two or three times in the days leading up to her field trip if I could come meet her while they ate lunch. At first I told her I would do my best to be there, and that she should ask her teacher for an approximate time she would be at the restaurant. I dismissed the thought and was surprised when my daughter who is very carefree and void of concern for all things important, actually remembered to ask her teacher.

She came home the next day from school, “Mommy, Mrs. Julie said we will be at the pizza place around 11:00!” she informed me with a wide smile and questioning eyes. “Can you come?” she inquired as her hands were clasped tightly near her chest as if whispering a silent prayer.

“I’m sorry, baby, you will probably be loading the bus to leave about the time I can come, so don’t think you’ll get to see me.”

“Okay,” she muttered with dejection in her voice.

A few days pass and morning breaks on the day of her field trip. As I combed her blonde curls getting her ready for school, she asked again, as if it were the first time, “Mommy, can you come to see me while we are eating lunch today?”

My heart got a few new cracks in it as I answered her, “No, I can’t come, Brenna. You would probably be done by the time I could get there, and besides, I won’t have my car today, so I won’t be able to leave work at lunch.”

The dejection surfaced again, “okay.” As she was leaving the house, I reminded her of all of the “mom safety slogans” and wished her a great time. She hopped on the bus full of excitement about her fun day ahead.

Trying to push her hurt from my mind, I went on with the morning routine, arrived at work, and before the morning was over, I unexpectedly had my car back. When my lunch time arrived, I decided to surprise her and show up at the pizza place.

I entered unnoticed and walked up and just stood beside the booth she was sharing with 5 other little girls. She had no idea I was there as they bantered back and forth with each other in their elementary girl ways. There was much giggling and squirming, and suddenly she noticed me. I thought she was going to squash the girl setting next to her as she climbed over her to get to me!

Her eyes were as wide as could be and her whole face was smiling as she jumped up and threw her arms around my neck proclaiming, “Mommyyyyy!”

I sat down with her and her friends for a few minutes while the rest of the classmates finished their lunches and the other girls all chatted and giggled back and forth not bothered by my presence.

She was so proud and so glad to have me there, she never stopped smiling.

“I just love you soo much!” She would say over and over.

After we parted ways and as the day wore on I thought about how I stood beside that booth for several seconds unnoticed and unaware as she interacted with the people around her. Thankfully, she was actually behaving at the time, and wasn’t caught acting up!

I compared the situation to my own life.

If I were in Brenna’s position and God walked up and I was unaware, would I be as excited to see Him as she was to see me? Or would I immediately start replaying the last several minutes in my mind wondering what He saw me do or heard me say?

Would I scale my friends like nothing else mattered just to get to Him when my eyes connected with His?

Would I throw my arms around His neck in reckless abandon as I shouted “Abbaaaaa!”?

Would I sit with Him, wide smiled and eyes dancing with delight, telling Him how much I loved Him?

Oh, I hope so.




Royal Princess Daughter Of The King