I Invited Them In

My role as a mother to a toddler and a baby was never more challenging than the day my two-year-old daughter went exploring in the refrigerator while I tried to feed breakfast to her 10-month-old brother. I had succeeded in getting only one spoonful of cereal into David when I heard a crash and a splash. Turning to see what had happened, I saw my little daughter sitting on the floor with an empty pitcher in her lap. She, the floor, and the inside of the refrigerator were covered with sticky red punch.

To make matters worse, the doorbell rang. My first impulse was to ignore it. I picked up Andrea and started removing her wet, sticky clothes. David, not understanding where his breakfast and mommy had gone, sat in his high chair wailing. The doorbell rang again, and I remembered that my visiting teachers had scheduled a visit with me for that morning.

Discouraged and on the verge of tears, I picked up Andrea and went to the door. Seeing the look on my face, Sister Jefferson asked if they should come back later. I looked at her and thought of the mess in my kitchen. Then, instead of sending them away, I invited my visiting teachers in and showed them my problem.

Coats went off, and lesson materials were left on a chair. Sister Metcalf sat down in front of David and tried to calm and feed him. Sister Jefferson mopped the floor and wiped the refrigerator clean. I cleaned up Andrea and put her in the playpen.

As I waved good-bye to my two wonderful visiting teachers, I was both grateful and cheerful. And as my day progressed, I found myself chuckling over what could have been a discouraging and stressful experience. I will always remember the visiting teachers who cleaned my kitchen, fed my baby, and truly brought sunshine into my home.