WHEN I WAS A CHILD I was allowed to be one. I will always be grateful to my parents for giving me that time, and for creating an ever-expanding “kindergarten.” In that “child’s garden,” they nurtured my natural curiosity by unfolding the new world I had been born into at a pace I was able to keep.
My Dad was a master at imaginative suggestion. Mom was an avid encourager. Together, they set the course I should always follow. I know no other path. Everything was fun and sometimes one silly game after another. Never underestimate the power and importance of laughter.
I hope their art is not lost to history. I tried to emulate them the best I could as a Dad, but I was an amateur then, yet so thankful for the children I received.
I am more determined to be better as a Pappa.
My parents offered suggestions as to how to interact with the world and those in it, and pay attention to what I see. They recommended I smell the flowers, and taste all of God’s beautifully colored vegetables—and ice cream with sprinkles. They gave me responsibility over very small things like saying, “Please” or “Thank you” and really meaning it. As it turned out, those things weren't little at all.
I felt the earth with my hands, snow on my tongue, and sun on my face. I learned to walk bare-footed. And discovered I could run. I didn't always follow their guidance. I'm human, like everyone else. That meant I needed to develop the concept of the ultimate authority. Mom and Dad did not leave my knowledge of God to chance. My grandmother saw to it that I knew Jesus. As I grew, they taught me to think through my decisions to make wiser ones.
Today, just as always, children must be taught critical thinking skills. If not, they will be powerless before the thoughtless and unthinkable. Not that we were ever perfect, but we continue to demonstrate new ways to prove we are a society that's lost its way by being too busy to take care of the most important things first. Things like our families, our marriages, and a working knowledge of our Creator and His written word. No surprise so many view themselves as the only authority that matters. Little ones will learn what we teach them. Think. What are they being taught?
Children need more child “play” time at home. More fun with Mom and Dad. Time to discover who they are—before the onset of competition—before they believe they must be the BEST or always have the best, and fail to learn that they, instead, should learn to become the best person they can and let that drive what they do. The greatest competition should be with themselves, not others. We are human beings, not human doings.
I want my grandchildren to be kind, gracious and giving. I want them to be grateful adults. I hope I can pass this part of myself on to those darlings before I pass on. Is there a way to do that? I believe there is. So, for them, here is a peek inside your Pappa:
I allow people to be wrong about who I am, what I can do, or about my life. I keep peaceful about it and remain focused. I know who I am and what I am about. I learned, from my amazing childhood coaches, that it is the most misunderstood power move I could ever make.
According to the scriptures, this life is the dream. We are all living "the dream." When we awake, I hope our meditations, words and deeds are found acceptable.
I am deeply thankful for my life. Let everything I say and do be a thank you*.
Copyright 2022, Gary Landerfelt, MyPericope.com
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