"You Are A Thief"

Grace was her name - she shuttled me from my car to the starting point of my walk. I would walk back to where it is located in her motel parking lot. We exchanged many stories, meaning I listened while she talked. Some of the conversation was between she and her friend who rode with us. Grace told of a lessons she taught her now 18 year old son when he was about 6. Roy come home from McDonalds with a group of friends and each showed the plastic balls they had taken from the ball pit. They we were proud of their new toys, though they didn't have much value outside of the pit. Grace listened to each telling how they put them inside their shirt and they added up the total taken.

Then Grace reminded them of what it said about them "you are a thief" she said to Roy. She made Roy take his back to McDonalds, explain to the manager what he had done, and say he was sorry. She did keep one and placed it on the den book case. She left firm instructions that it was NEVER TO BE MOVED. That ball she said to Roy is to remind you that "you are a thief." Years later that ball remained on the shelf - several attempts were made to remove it but all failed. I imagine that Roy did always remember what he did and what it said about him. The question to me is "does Roy know anything more about himself?" Sinner yes, but how about redeemed? His mother failed to live up to her name.