A Kiss Goodbye

It was a different kind of dinner tonight. Each kid sort of ate at a different time. Sundays, or church days are usually like that. I had finished feeding the middle and the little and cleaned them up, when Joshy was ready. I fixed his plate and sat down with him to keep him company while he ate. It was quiet. George and Riley were busy with Jamie out front. Josh and I talked a bit, and then we sat quiet. I started thinking about how I really didn't want him to go away to kindergarten. I would keep him home with me for one more year and then when he was almost seven, he'd be ready to go off to school. My precious little boy, slurping spaghetti was still so small and sweet. I hadn't had a chance to land anywhere in my thinking, and for some reason, I asked Josh if he wanted me to read him a story while he ate. This was not typical. (Not the reading part, but reading at dinner) I grabbed the book, A Kiss Goodbye by Audrey Penn and began to read......Chester Raccoon sat in the corner of his tree hollow and frowned. "I'm not moving," he announced stubbornly. "I'm staying here. I want to stay with my tree, and stay with my friends, and stay where I've always lived."
Mrs. Raccoon patted Chester's worried, furrowed forehead. "I understand how you feel," she told him in an understanding, motherly voice, "but I'm afraid we all have to move."
"But I like it here," whined Chester. "It's my home."
" It's my home, too," said Mrs. Raccoon. "And I know how scary it is to move to a new place. But sometimes, like when you started school and changed classes, you have to do things that are scary and hard at first. I know- maybe you could think of moving as an adventure."
And then I landed. My heavenly father in Mrs. Raccoon's character, giving me an answer to the same question and doubt I've been struggling with for the last six months. The adventure will be how it all plays out. Are these thoughts convictions or gentle rebukes? I'm confused but stand so amazed. I had never read that book before, it was REALLY good.