You know you've been to Chicago when...

...your child requests a cowboy hat and heads outside to play his instrument of choice for all the world to hear. Confused?...so was I. So I inquired what exactly he was going to need the hat for, and more specific, "Why a cowboy hat?"

"So people can put money in when I play my drums."

Great thinking, sweet boy. Unfortunately, many things did not go in Jayce's favor on this particular day...

First, we do not have a cowboy hat in our vast collection of dress up hats (so he improvised). Second, we do not live in a high traffic area (so he didn't get any money). And third, some random object got into Jayce's eye during his "performance" (so I spent the next hour and a half trying to make him comfortable and decide if something had scratched his eye or if there was still something in there which needed to be retreived) Finally, after on and off discomfort, accompanied with tears, 2 short Curious George episodes, several popsicle offers which were all refused, and attempts at every trick I know for getting something out of an eye, he let me take a real good look around in his eye. I thought I saw something under the lid and, sure enough, during the second check I recovered a small speck of what appeared to be part of a stem or leaf. He had instant relief and , other than his red, swollen eye, his face was so happy. As we both studied the small speck on my finger that had caused him so much trouble, I just could not keep myself from using the opportunity for a greater good. And since we've been talking about how the way we use our words can either help people to grow or make them wilt, I said, "You know Jayce, this speck is so little but it made a big difference in your eye. Even though it is so little, when it was in your eye it hurt really really bad. And, even though it is super,super tiny it made your eye feel better right away when it came out. It made a big difference. In the Bible it says that our tongue is a very small part of our body but it can make a really big difference. If you use your words in the right ways it helps people, but if you use your words in the wrong way it can hurt people really badly." He was so attentive and I think he got it:) Later however, as he was recalling the incident and how the speck got into his eye, he did come up with a really great, 4-year-old solution so this wouldn't happen again..."Everything in the world should have eyes," he said. "Why?" "Cause they need to see where they are going."