The Moral of the Story -- Cindy Trane Christeson

“I think God is going to come down and pull civilization over for

speeding.”

-- Steven Wright

I’ve spoken twice in the past month on the same subject. It’s about a

gift that all children need, a gift that never goes out of style and that

fits every little boy and girl. It is the one of the best gifts parents

can ever give their children. It is the gift of an unhurried childhood.

Childhood is a progression of stages that cannot be fast-forwarded. We

know better than to try to force a butterfly out of a cocoon before it’s

time, but we may not realize how harmful it is for children to be

expected to keep up nonstop schedules and act like miniature adults.

“God has blessed you with those precious little people for a time, but

that time goes so quickly,” I said to a group this week. “I remember when

I was pregnant with our daughters, I felt like I was destined to waddle

forever. But then they were born and we wondered when we would ever sleep

through the night, and then before I knew it, they were teenagers, and we

had to struggle to stay awake until they came home.”

Then I held up a little pair of white Buster Brown shoes that our

daughter Kelly wore when she was about 3. She covered many merry miles in

those shoes, and judging by the scuffs on the top of them, she obviously

dragged her toes and danced like children are supposed to.

It seems like Kelly was just wearing those tiny Buster Browns, and now

we’re talking about white shoes for Kelly again, but this time they will

be for her wedding dress.

“Your children grow up as fast as you can sing ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ from

‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ so don’t rush them through their childhood,” I

said.

Parents aren’t the only ones who need to be cautioned about the pace

of life. It seems like everybody is rushing. We have hurried children,

harried parents and a stressed society.

There is an intersection near our house that I cross when I go out for

my morning walk or run that really exemplifies this. Even if I am

walking, I often end up running through it because some drivers barely

slow down where they are supposed to stop, and a few times I’ve almost

been hit. Some of them glare at me for making them slow down a few

seconds.

I know we all experience the heightened pace of life when we drive

anywhere. One friend tries to remember to treat each red light she

encounters as a reminder to take a deep breath and pray that God will

guide her pace and fill her with his peace. I’ve been trying this and it

helps.

Speeding through life isn’t good for us, our relationships with one

another or with God. We need to give each other the gift of unhurried

time to deepen these bonds.

Whether or not you are a parent, you are a child of God, and God longs

to spend time with his children. Since God has given us the gift of life,

let’s honor the giver by treating life as an adventure to be enjoyed, not

a race to be endured.

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at o7

[email protected] or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.