Growing Young
"An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest/Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him/Then he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me/ For he who is least among you all — he is the greatest.'"
-- Luke 9 : 46-48
We learn from children more than we could ever teach them.
They make us better human beings. They represent all that is incorruptable in the world. They accept, believe, feel so fundamentally that they are in one moment channeling all the joy of the world and in the next all the affliction.
They aren't children for long. None of us are. We grow and lose sight of what we are and what we are supposed to be.
To be a child is to be the closest to God any of us will ever be. To love a child is to be the closest to God we can ever hope to be.
The best we can hope for is to hold dear the revelations children bestow upon us and never surrender them.
Son, you turn 6 today. Thank you for what you have taught me. More than you could ever learn from me.
10 comments:
one year closer to the world of more rules.
Profound. Children are truly a gift. But it's only good parents that realize that.
Happy Birthday!!
Aw, what a thoughtful, wistful post.
kid if you read this later on in life - your father is a good egg and a fine writer
thanks, guys.
i have to tell you, it gets more difficult each year. when my oldest was a little one, i always looked to age 5 as the perfect age. i've lived that with him now, and we move on.
one cool thing ... he got these spider-man shoe skates. he was going around the house (hardwood floors) busting his ass left and right. laughing the whole time.
the cool thing is that it was so very akin to when he was 1 and first starting walking. it was almost exactly like that watching him learn to use those things.
and the fact that he sleeps with the cases to his video games.
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More fathers should be so expressive. I love it.
Happy birthday, A! My N turns six this month, too, and I'm feeling like an era is about to end.
Five is SO cool. Six is,well, not five.
I think we will both be pleasantly surprised.
thanks, cindy. i appreciate that.
kz, he told me yesterday that he's glad he's six, because he's smarter. it is kind of nice to see him more and more able to take care of himself. it takes pressure off. i just don't want him to stop thinking i'm the greatest thing in the world. somedays it's all i got in that regard.
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That's touching! I'm due with my first in late October. Eeeee.. I do remember just having a very open sense of God when I was a kid. I was much more accepting and impressionable. Sometimes I wish I could let go of the cynicism and need to over analyize, really. Great post.
good for you, amber. it'll change your life. you know, reconnect you with that kid, in a way.
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