Play in the Rain

"Suess" original art by Ruthie Robbins

    Let’s go hiking she said.  Yeah!, was the enthusiastic response. She, my wife, was kidding of course, we were in the middle of a torrential downpour.  Yeah!, that would be insane they said. Of course, in their world insane often equals awesome. That’s raising boys for you, the land of the insane, crazy fun that says traipsing through the woods isn’t good enough, it should be done in the middle of a deluge of rain and wind.   We didn’t go out that time, but I have to admit, it did kind of sound like fun.

"Be the Exception" original art by Ruthie Robbins

 

The sound of taking a path less taken is something that either drives us forward or causes us to step back out of fear.  The fear of the unknown. If I go down that path, what will come? What awaits me at the end? In our modern times here in suburbia the question usually sounds more like... is this the best, wisest, most cost effective path to take?  Is this the one that gets me the farthest in life, the one that makes me the most money? Now, don’t get me wrong here, I’m not advocating for stupid decisions. I think enough of those get made on a minute by minute basis. What I am saying is that I think our “sensibilities” often get in the way.

I started this little thought with my sons because they very often remind me to take things as they come, simply and without a mountain of deep thought.  You know, like a child. I think I have heard that saying somewhere, in a book I don’t pick up often enough… hmmm. In case you're confused I’m talking about the Bible and Matthew 18:3, which is that verse about becoming little children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  It’s one of those passages that I always go back to, one of the few that have stuck with me over the years.

Now, I’m not going to dissect the passage, there are smarter wordsmiths out there that have already done so, go check them out.  What I have to say is simpler than that. My words for the day are to go take that hike in the middle of the torrent. Try out that “insane” (awesome) idea that your children have.  Adopt that weird pet, take that trip… have that conversation. Take the time to do something with your children that they will remember for the rest of their days, because the number of those days they have in your home are fewer than you realize.  Make them count.

The next time your sensibilities say don’t, do.  Instead of worrying over what you have to lose, wonder about the memories that you have to gain.  The time you spend with your children now will have long lasting effects on their lives, for better or worse.  Now, I also have to remind you that this is an extrapolation of Matthew 18:3, and not what the verse is actually talking about.  Like I said, go look it up, along with a good explanation. You may learn something new, or gain a little different perspective on things.  And lastly, go do something insane, in the rain, in the wind, with the ones you love.  Do it now, do it often.


-C