Margaret Daley’s post on Monday immediately made me think of an
experience from my son’s childhood, and I wanted to share it with you.
The house where my husband, son, and I lived was one block from our
local post office, and two blocks from the town square. I was fortunate to be a
stay-at-home mom up until The Progeny went to Kindergarten, so in any weather
short of hail or heavy rain or sleet, he and I might well go for a walk.
At first of course, there was the stroller, then walking along holding
hands, and eventually the tricycle, which soon became the tricycle with a wagon
bungee-corded to the back for “hauling stuff.” In our small town, many people
knew The Progeny by name, and our walks often included plenty of stops to visit
for a moment with friends or acquaintances. A walk of a few blocks could take
the whole afternoon.
The time I especially remember was a trip to the post office. We were
holding hands, and The Progeny was maybe three years old. As soon as we landed
on the sidewalk from our front porch, I could see this would be anything but a quick trip. OHMYGOODNESS, we had to stop at
every crack in the sidewalk, and many places without cracks, to inspect all of
the bugs. (It was an especially busy bug day for some reason.) We couldn't just quickly glance at them, either. We had to stop dead
in our tracks, crouch down, and inspect exactly what types of bugs were there,
and what they were doing. I wondered if we’d get to the post office before the
window closed!
I have no idea why we needed to go to the P.O. that day. I just
remember realizing I was in the middle of a parable: Enjoy the journey and don't be entirely focused on the destination. I've thought of that many times in the last 20+
years. Sometimes it shows more than others, but I think I actually did learn the lesson. I'm grateful for it.
What important things have you learned from a child?
What important things have you learned from a child?
