Five hands reached out to the center of the table and piled one on top of the other. Kolby’s little arm had to stretch really far, but she got the tips of her fingers in as our family made our New Year’s pact.
“One, two, three…Yo Gabba Gabba,” we yelled out to seal our commitment.
The crowd at CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) looked at our table in open curiosity. Our family isn’t exactly a quiet bunch and tonight we were celebrating Kolby’s second birthday.
First, we went around the table and affirmed our little girl. Kolby beamed over her mac-n-cheese and pizza. Then we picked one New Year’s goal each and shared it with the table. We finished up by picking one crucial action item we could each do in the next few months to turn our goal into a reality.
Our conversation was sincere, tender and full of cheers and encouragement.
The family next to us glanced over at us occasionally. Their boys were dressed in the height of surfer cool and the mom and dad had the “OC well groomed look” (i.e. hours at the mall, salon, dermatologist and gym). Each child got their own meal and soda. It was obvious their entertainment budget had more wiggle room than ours.
Our family was out to eat on a gift certificate received from a congregant as a Christmas present. Each of us split a meal and we made our kids drink water. I dressed baby Kolby in a birthday girl t-shirt, just to make sure the restaurant didn’t forget to give us our free ice cream sundae.
Just as they delivered Kolby’s monstrous sundae (amidst a loud and lusty rendition of “happy birthday”) and the five of us dug in –snarfing like wild dogs on the baby’s treat, I noticed the other family getting served individual desserts the size of Texas.
I looked at my husband and chuckled, “You know you’re the financially strapped pastor’s family when…”
- The waiter hates you because the bill is always couponed, meals are split, and they have to ID your kids to make sure they are twelve and under for the kids menu (the hair on my son’s lip and almost six-foot status might indicate an older teen-ok he’s thirteen)
- The baby yells out “Amen” when the food arrives because she is hungry and doesn’t want to wait for prayers.
- The homeless guy in the parking lot is wearing an outfit you have in your closet because the same rich family in town gave you both their hand me downs.
- You get excited when your kid loses a tooth with a cavity in it. What a saver!
- You re-gift nice gifts you actually want.
- You consider washing the birthday girl t-shirt and wearing it the next time you go out to get another free dessert. (The two-year old won’t catch on for a while)
You also really know you’re the pastor’s family when the rich kids next to you look longingly over at your table and wish they could abandon their big sundae’s and fancy clothes to come and hang out with the big, noisy family where the mom has just spilled ice-cream all over the son’s pants as they try to share bites and snort hysterically.
And even though I don’t love always struggling and pinching pennies, I also know there are some things money simply can’t buy.
