Wednesday, December 15, 2010
GIFTS FROM CHILDREN
Contributed by Melodie Davis
December 15, 2010
I was doing an errand when the beautiful strains of a symphony came
over the airwaves from NPR. I don't usually have my radio on NPR,
choosing instead to listen to a local news station. All of a sudden I
realized it had been over a year since I had heard the richness of a
really good orchestra creating live stirring music all around me.
Now that our middle daughter has graduated from the school of music at
the state university in our town, we are no longer attending the
frequent recitals and orchestra programs we made time for (let's face
it) just because she was in them.
And that realization made me suddenly aware of all the many gifts our
children gave us. I know Christmas is over but perhaps January is a
good time to revel in the continuing glow (we hope) of the holiday
season: remembering times with family, children, feasting. What gifts
did your children give you? I'm not talking about the store-bought
kind.
Without my children, I would never have experienced what marching band
was all about and all that went with thatthe running to cities hither
and yon to attend competitions, see parades, or go to the football
games where they were playing in the bandincluding a high school state
championship game and a college national championship gameas well as
the Macy Thanksgiving Parade in New York City. I would never have run
alongside to keep up with the band during a parade, and then wept
silly sentimental tears for each one's very last parade, or leaped (in
a very undignified manner) high off my seat in the grandstand with
other parents when finally, finally the band achieved their first
"first."
I would never have experienced keeping eyes peeled to my children on
stage in musicals, choir and band concerts, recitals, plays,
elementary school pageants, graduations.
I would never have experienced sucking in my breath when a fast ball
was hurdled at them in girl's softball, or an elbow was thrown
rebounding a basketball, or the shared embarrassment of one coming in
last in the long jump or the 440.
Without my children, I would never have gotten to relive the drama,
pain and proffered bouquets of roses thrust into awkward hands during
teenage dating.
I would never have had the privilege of chaperoning sleepovers and
birthday parties; and eavesdropping on tales of other kids' first
kisses and guys' roaming hands if I hadn't driven carpools and
vanloads of adolescents.
These are the gifts of childrenand that's just the beginning. I know I
wrote at one time about the many gifts children give when they are
smaller. Tight hugs and wet kisses. Candy they held tightly in their
hands for an hour but now want you to eat. Already-been-chewed
hamburger or French fries. Sweet bed and mealtime prayers. Innocent
questions like "Why did God make the clouds so high?" After you've
grasped for a decent answer, you gape in wonder at the answer they had
already formulated, waiting to test it with you: "Maybe it's so we
don't mess with them."
Children bring the rediscovery of how fun it is to watch ants scurry
on the sidewalk, butterflies emerge from a cocoon, or experience the
peacefulness of observing crawdads in a rippling creek.
Many times the gift children give us is just to make us laugh. A ten
year old was helping his mother at our office one day when he saw one
guy's desk stacked high with many messy papers. "Looks like he's got
lots of work to do," Owen observed. I got a good laugh out of that. It
brightened my day.
Whether they are two, twelve, 22 or more, thank God for the gifts
children have brought to your lifewhether they are yours or someone
else's!
MelodieD@MennoMedia .org Melodie is the author of eight books and
writes a syndicated newspaper column, Another Way
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