Over the past 24 years of parenting, how many times have I been a part of exchanges like this:

"What do you want for your birthday, Mom?"

"Oh, all I want is a good boy for my birthday."

or

"I wuv oo, Mommy!"

"If you love me" (fatigued tone of voice) you’ll do what I say."

This morning it was the latter exchange with the two year old who no doubt had no idea what my response meant, but no matter. Given his sudden penchant for stamping is foot, feet and whole body and screaming "NOOOO," – he’ll hear it often enough to figure it out.

But this morning as the exchange occurred for the millionth time with the fifth child, a morning I was getting him ready to go to Mass, I heard myself say, If you love me, you’ll do what I say…and like Ruby Turpin, bellowing, "Who do you think you are?"  in the pigpen in O’Connor’s "Revelation", my own words came echoing right back, resounding.