Guardians of Sweet Boys

I wonder if Mary and Joseph were guardians of a sweet boy. The Bible is pretty quiet about Jesus’ childhood. I wonder if baby Jesus’ sweetness stuck around during his boyhood. My hunch is that the big-hearted man who shared compassion and love with the hungry, widowed, and poor started out as a big-hearted boy.

Raising a sweet boy is a joy. But sometimes I worry. Is this boy too sweet for his own good? Is his sweetness a weakness?

But then I think about the kind of people this world needs. The world needs more kindness, compassion, big-hearts, and tenderness. And if Jesus is a model for how to live, then perhaps being the guardian of a sweet boy means that we get a chance to glimpse into the boyhood heart of Jesus.

I can’t help but wonder what it was like for Mary and Joseph to raise a sweet boy. I wonder what advise they would share to those of us who are blessed to be guardians of sweet boys.

Would they say, “For the sake of all that is holy, let them be sweet…their sweetness will save us some day.”

Or would they issue a warning, “Watch out for the tender-hearted ones…the world will take advantage of them and punish them for their great love.”

Or maybe they would say, “Love them and enjoy them. For soon they will leave you.”

Sure, sweet boys can be salty, too…but more like dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt for flavor. My mother’s heart still wonders: How long do sweet boys last in this world? Are they too good for their own good?

Perhaps Mary and Jospeh worried about this, too. I look to God for help. I pray for God to watch over this sweet boy. For surely God is the ultimate guardian of our sweet boys.