Last weekend, I was at a parish doing having our media outreach and interesting I witnessed 2 scenes of "parenting".
Halfway during a Mass, a father suddenly walked out of the Church angrily, carrying his 3-year old boy. He was crying in fear and covering his father's mouth, saying something like "no, don't do it, no...." As they reached a grass patch behind some parked cars, I could heard some beatings and the father practically "roared" (he shouted so loud that his voice went almost coarsed) at the boy: you purposedly do this to me, why are you doing this? I treated you nicely, but you are not treating me the same... you purposedly do this, .... he went on repeating similar lines. After this came a silent and perhaps they were having a "father and son" talk. After quite some time, both of them went back towards the Church and stayed at the entrance. Just then the mother, pregnant, came out and carried the boy, filled with pity and love.
As I was watching them, out came another father and son. This time, the little boy, about the same age as the other, lowered his head, seemed to be sad, sorry and guilty but without a word. The father whispered to him with a serious look, but from a distance, I could tell that the little boy must have did something wrong and was punished by standing aside. The father was also standing near him.
2 misbehaved boys in the Church, 2 different ways of treatment. One was dwelt with in a rage, the other in silence. I do not want to judge the action of the first father, even though I felt that the way he vent his anger on the child was not appropriate. He might be undergoing his own problem but channel it to this poor child. Yet, I can't help thinking--how would these 2 children turned out to be in the near future? How can we tell? Who has the better approach in dealing with their children? Parenting is definitely not an easy task. I pray that these 2 children will grow up to be good, loving and responsible young men for others.
