Just a thought~

Over the weekend I was watching a few specials on PBS.

Of course, we’ve all seen them, but for some reason they really hit my soul hard.

I’m still not sure why.

They were about music.

 One was on folk singers who were activists, and the other about the legacy of Jewish composers.

It’s amazing how much there is to learn everyday.

Just when you think you’ve seen all the documentaries on a subject,

here comes a new one with a new slant that hits you right in the heart.

Anyway, I was telling a friend how I had started to learn to play the guitar when I was younger.

My sister-in-law played so well.  She sang all the folk songs that we had grown up with.

I wanted to learn to play them too, and sing as she did.  It was so beautiful.  So powerful.

While reminiscing, I stopped and thought about today.

There are so many great times that were so good, so bad, so powerful that our kids either don’t know about, or know, but don’t care.  It doesn’t impact their lives.  Should they care?

They should!

Shortly after that, I was watching the footage of Hurricane Harvey where a mom on the news was crying.

She and her husband had been cleaning out their house and removing the bottom few feet of drywall from the walls.

Their furniture was scattered across the lawn.  Some drying out, some in trash piles.

She cried, “I can’t let my children see this.  I can’t let them see our house like this.”

I have to admit, I was kind of shocked.

First of all, the house was intact.  It wasn’t that bad.  Believe me I know from experience.

I thought about my parents.

My parents never shielded us from anything when we were kids.

I thought to myself…  Yes, let them see it!

Let them know what can happen in a blink of an eye.

Because it can happen my friend.  It happened to me…  and it can happen to you.

But, you’ll get through it.  The children will get through it, too.

I’m fine.  My kids are fine.

Maybe even better for it!

I can remember while growing up our house being flooded.  Several times, in fact.

I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, and we were hit by many storms.

We learned to take it in stride.

These forces of nature are a natural occurrence, especially here in Florida.

We were prepared.  We were a family and would work together through the tragedy, if one occurred.

After all, it was only furniture and carpet and wood.  All replaceable items.

We were safe and sound. That’s what was really important.

Of course, as kids you think like a kid.

How fun it would be to splash through knee deep water in the middle of your house with the dog following along behind.

We couldn’t wait to get outside and play in it.

Maybe even drag the little boat out and paddle around as if it were the ocean in our yard.

What great games we would think up to play.  Games like never before!

After all the work was done, of course!

I remember as my dad put the last board in place, and we were then officially locked up tight together.

He would gather us together to pray.

I remember him during the storm stopping us from our inside activities and bringing us together again, for prayer.

Again, thinking like kids we would remind him we had already prayed.

Not knowing that he was thinking of the bigger potential for loss than we as children, had ever thought about.

Now as an adult, you see it all so clearly.

  In my opinion, that mother in Houston was wrong.

Share everything with your children with honesty.

The good and the bad, the easy…  and the hard work.

They will be better and stronger for it.

As they grow, they will come to realize just how resilient they can be in tough times, in awkward circumstances,

and even in big decision making.

They’ll draw closer to you, as you set the example of hard work, determination, and as always

Faith, Hope, and of course the greatest of these, LOVE.

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