I was seated next to a lady with a little boy. He was probably 6 or so. He had no respect for personal space. He had no healthy sense of boundaries.
Being the reasonable person I am, I didn't make a fuss, I just sat quietly, trying to shrink.
About 15 minutes into the mass, this child fell asleep on my shoulder. Now, in a Catholic Mass there is a lot of sitting down, standing up, kneeling and then repeating. I heard they do that so you won't fall asleep. Seems plausible to me. When it's time to stand, I look to the mother, she looks at me, neither of us do anything.
So, I spend the next 45 minutes or so sitting perfectly still while this child slumbers on my shoulder. His mother woke him up when it was time to approach the altar to receive ashes. He was groggy and disorientated. He looked at me and smiled, while we were in line for ashes I could hear him singing along to the hymn that was being sung. Some parts were in Latin, and he did his best to sing each word after it had been sung.
So, I spend the next 45 minutes or so sitting perfectly still while this child slumbers on my shoulder. His mother woke him up when it was time to approach the altar to receive ashes. He was groggy and disorientated. He looked at me and smiled, while we were in line for ashes I could hear him singing along to the hymn that was being sung. Some parts were in Latin, and he did his best to sing each word after it had been sung.
Afterwards, while I sat in my car I cried. I cried for about 20 minutes. Then I drove home.
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