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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Week(s) (02/10/11)
There is an old Mother Goose nursery rhyme called “Monday’s Child.” The author of this poem assigns characteristics to children born on specific days of the week, beginning with Monday’s child being fair of face. So what does it mean if your child is born on Monday with a ruddy complexion? Or, could the author be referring to a face that reflects honesty, objectiveness or a bright disposition rather than color?

The poem continues with Tuesday’s child being full of grace. What if your child turns out to be a klutz? Does that rule out your child truly being born a Tuesday’s child? Perhaps the child was born at the stroke of midnight and the doctor simply chose Tuesday instead of the day on either side of Tuesday. But wait – isn’t grace the gift by which all Christians through faith are saved? It doesn’t matter what day of the week you are born, if you have faith and believe, you are full of grace.

Wednesday’s child is full of woe. We have all seen children who cannot escape the miseries of life. From early on they seem to attract misfortune and unhappiness. What a depressing burden for parents to carry if their child was born on Wednesday. We question then, did it come about simply because they were born on Wednesday? What else determined their fate?

Thursday’s child has far to go. It cannot be discerned from the poem whether the author refers to distance or success or either. Is the child destined to travel the world, or climb the corporate ladder of success? The other consideration might be that neither distance nor success was in the author’s mind, but simply it was the easiest word found to rhyme with “woe.”

Friday’s child, according to the poem, is loving and giving. How many children born on Friday actually turn out to be mean and selfish? If parents truly follow the poem and trust its predictions they lose faith in not only the poem, but ultimately the child himself. So then does the day of the week matter as much as the environment in which the child is raised?

Saturday’s child works hard for a living. Are all hard workers born on Saturday? Should we automatically conclude that there are no lazy people born on Saturday? Will the question of the day of the week on which you were born soon become common on a job application? Does it mean that anyone born on any other day of the week does not work hard for a living?

And finally, the child that is born on the Sabbath day is bonny and blithe, and good and gay. This child is given several attributes from which to choose. If not handsome and appealing, they could be carefree and happy, or respectable and virtuous, or homosexual and effervescent. What a variance of personality characteristics are offered to the Sunday child. Does it mean the Sunday child must possess all of these traits, or is it a multiple choice of blessing options?

Perhaps moving through a week, as in this poem, is pure fantasy and meant to entertain as a bedtime story from Old Mother Goose. Perhaps it answers our search for resolution of the questions we have of the personalities of those around us, not necessarily our children. Maybe the new pick-up line will be “What day of the week were you born?” instead of “What’s your sign?

Once we are born – no matter what day of the week – other life experiences begin to influence who we become. While the day of the week is notable, it certainly cannot determine the path down which life will take us. Instead, it is a lighthearted view of yet another element of our birth. The bottom line is that no matter what day of the week we are born, God reaches out to claim us and takes our hand to lead us through a life He would have us live. He is there to help us pursue the impossible and fulfill that which He would have us become. Do we accept His extended hand of guidance, or do we reject it and attempt to do it on our own? The choice is ours.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Nancy Bucca
02/17/11
As a "Wednesday child" I can well relate to that bit about the Wednesday child being "full of woe" and the negativity it can bring - if you believe it (my sister was born on a Sunday). It's amazing how much superstition you realize you've grown up with once you finally get a revelation of God's grace and unconditional love. Thanks for sharing.

Lisa Fowler
02/17/11
Excellent thoughts on an old rhyme. Well written. Thanks for sharing.
Helen Carr
02/18/11
This is great!
diana kay
02/19/11
thank you for this... i wrote a "new poem" on this theme it is hidden in level two at moment... but not that hidden as the title will stand out.
i think this was a great subject to take that is spot on theme and it is interesting and informative in the way you have tackled it :-)
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
02/21/11
As a Wednesday child I've often wondered if my woes were a self-fulfilling prophecy or if there were something to those words. But the great thing is Jesus loves me woes and all! Nice take on the topic.
Bonnie Bowden 
02/23/11
What a clever way to cover this weeks topic. To tell you the truth, I'm wondering what day of the week I was born.
Bonnie Bowden 
02/24/11
Just a side note. When Mother Goose was written the word gay was not associated with homosexuality.