A Matter of Conscience

"Conscience is a cur that will let you get past it but that you cannot keep from barking."

I'm not sure where that old saying comes from.  I read it today and it made me remember something that Andrew did when he was very little.

He was about three or four, and we'd had some trouble getting him to go upstairs to bed.  He finally went up and about 10 minutes later we both heard something from his room.  Thomas, half-jokingly, said, "I hope that's not a little boy I hear moving around up there!"

Now I had heard what I thought was Andrew's water glass (that he always had to have at night), so I assumed he'd just gotten a drink and we'd heard it being set back down on his night table.  I said, "I think he was just getting a drink, Dad."  So Thomas called upstairs, "Oh, well, that's okay, then.  But get to sleep now."

I went up a few minutes later and stepped into his room to check on him and found him crying in his bed.  "What's wrong?"

"Daddy thinks I was getting a drink of water, but I wasn't.  I was looking out my window at the full moon.  I don't want to lie to Daddy."

I said, "Sweetheart, you didn't lie to Daddy.  I'm the one who told him you'd gotten a drink, because that's what I thought I heard."

He said, "But Daddy thinks I was getting a drink.  Will you tell him the truth?"

I assured him I would, and then he worried that Dad might be mad at him.  I told him I was sure Dad wouldn't be mad.  I then told Thomas everything and a few minutes later I heard him go into Andrew's room and say, "Mom tells me you were looking out your room at that full moon.  Wow!  That is a pretty moon tonight!"  And when I peeked in father and son were side by side looking out the window at the huge, orange moon.  Thomas was telling Andrew what his father used to say about harvest moons and crescent moons.  Andrew had his little arm around Thomas' neck.

A few minutes later he was peacefully asleep with a smile on his face.............and a very clear conscience!