Family in the Land of Um

Lum-Lum is a three-year old little boy who has a baby sister named Yum-Yum.

Lum-Lum loves Yum-Yum and asks Mum-Mum if he can feed Yum-Yum.

Mum-Mum holds Yum-Yum and lets Lum-Lum give his baby sister a bottle each day. Then Lum-Lum tells Mum-Mum his tum-tum is hungry too. So after they feed Yum-Yum, Mum-Mum feeds Lum-Lum. After lunch Mum-Mum gives Lum-Lum his num-num so he can take a nap.

While Lum-Lum sleeps, Mum-Mum makes a phone call to Dum-Dum, her husband, and tells him to bring some milk and cookies home after work.

Dum-Dum says alright and tells Mum-Mum to give Lum-Lum and Yum-Yum a kiss for him.

After Lum-Lum wakes up from his nap he goes to see if Yum-Yum is awake. Mum-Mum was putting Yum-Yum in her swing in the family room. So Lum-Lum went over and gave Mum-Mum and Yum-Yum a kiss.

Dum-Dum came in from work and he brought the milk and cookies home for his sweet little children. “After supper you may have some of these delicious chocolate-chip cookies with milk, Lum-Lum.”

Lum-Lum gave him a great big smile, he was very happy about that.

Mum-Mum and Dum-Dum began to talk about Dum-Dum’s brother, Bum-Bum who wouldn’t get a job and was always Ho-Hum. Now Uncle Bum-Bum wants to come for a visit.

Mum-Mum was extremely annoyed by this but didn’t say anything to Dum-Dum about it.

Later that night Mum-Mum called her sister Chum-Chum and told her all about Bum-Bum wanting to come to visit.

Chum-Chum listened patiently and finally said, “Mum-Mum, if Dum-Dum says it’s OK for Bum-Bum, to visit, then don’t be a ho-hum, like Bum-Bum, it just might be the best thing you’ve ever done. “And besides that, what would Gum-Gum say? She’d say, if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

Looking pum-pum, Mum-Mum says, “Well it’s all Wum-Wum’s fault if he had disciplined Bum-Bum when he was a child, Bum-Bum would have turned out a lot better.”

“Mum-Mum, that’s water under the zum-zum. Wum-Wum did the best he could. Bum-Bum has a good heart and Lum-Lum and Yum-Yum love him dearly.” said Chum-Chum.

“Remember that little song we used to hum when we were kids? “Be careful little mouth what you say…be careful little mouth what you say…for the father up above is looking down with love, so be careful little mouth what you say.” Lum-Lum and Yum-Yum are listening to everything you say about Bum-Bum.

“Oh, alright Chum-Chum you are right. I’ll be kind to Bum-Bum.” Mum-Mum sighs and pets the dog, Rum-Rum.

“Good night, Chum-Chum, I’ll let you know how it all turns out.” Mum-Mum says as she hangs up the phone.

Now if you live in the land of Um and you have a Lum-Lum and a Yum-Yum and a Dum-Dum and a Bum-Bum and you have a Rum-Rum and a Chum-Chum and a Gum-Gum and a Wum-Wum…You are happy and blessed. Family is everything. How you treat others is how you will be treated. Gum-Gum would say, “Only one life will soon be passed only what’s done for Christ will last.”

So have some milk and cookies for your tum-tum. Turn out the lights and say, good night!

~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 6, 2016

Matthew 7:2 New Living Translation (NLT) For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Matthew 7:2-5 The Message (MSG) A Simple Guide for Behavior  “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.