New Year's Day morning I was enjoying a quiet moment in the kitchen while making a cup of tea when I heard footsteps on the stairs. Any of you who have a two story home and children know, footsteps on the stairs can warn you as to what is ahead...A sleepy, not ready to start my day child, or a "I'm in a hurry because I forgot something or am late" child, or a "you aren't going to believe THIS" child, or, as these footsteps warned me, "I have some horrible news to tell you" child.
A friend lost her small child in an tragic accident the previous day. My heart was immediately broken and I cried out "NO!" as the truth sank in...the little one was gone too soon. Then, my heart found comfort when I told myself, instant death means instant heaven. Still, all week I have been struggling with the fact that this sweet family will not have that precious little one to hold, their lives are forever changed. In days past, this friend and I would have most likely lost touch when she moved away from the town where we both once lived to pursue more education and then got married, and began her family. Technology has allowed us, instead, to keep in touch and for me to "watch" as she announced her pregnancy, birth, and then each birthday of her little one. So, even though I never actually met this sweet child I feel as though I was blessed to see so much that normally I would have missed. This child LIVED! I amazed as I look through pictures and watch a video that have been added by the family at how many adventures such a wee one could enjoy. Obviously, the momma and daddy have embraced parenting and are training up their children in a way to be admired. As these types of events usually do, it has caused me to examine my own parenting. Although my children are adults, my momma's heart was reminded to be present as much as I possibly can. Life IS short and we know not what tomorrow holds.
In preparing for my preschool class Sunday school lesson (I teach 4 and 5 year olds) I was researching and stumbled upon a blog. I wish now I could remember the name of the blog as I do always want to give credit where credit is do but since the author's name is attached I think it is right to share this. It made me stop and think of each child I am blessed to have in my life and the responsibility I have to each them. I hope it speaks to you as it did to me. It is my prayer that these my friend and her husband know deep in their hearts that they did outstanding with their "thirty seconds".
"What can we do with thirty seconds? What can we not do with thirty seconds!... [Suppose] your little child looks out the window and sees a collie. 'What's that?' he asks you. You have five options, which will each take about thirty seconds to make stick:
1. We can tell him, "Look, baby, Mommy has to get dinner."
2. We can tell him, "That's a bow-wow."
3. We can tell him, "That's a dog."
4. We can tell him, "That's a dog called a collie."
The fifth option
is to tell him that it is a dog called a collie and then go on to tell him
thirty seconds worth of information about that animal...2. We can tell him, "That's a bow-wow."
3. We can tell him, "That's a dog."
4. We can tell him, "That's a dog called a collie."
How sad it is that we put information into a computer with great skill and great precision and put information into our children's brains in a hit-or-miss, slip-shod, and often untruthful way."
-Glenn Doman
I needed to read this. I have no children of my own, but still, how are we answering to our family and friends usually does not always reflect our love for them because we allow outside distractions to become more important. Or our time becomes more important that they are. Thank you for sharing.
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