Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Gifting Children with our Presence

When I walked past the big flower pot outside our front door one summer evening, I saw a father and son intently focused on it. The child was inches from a plant, holding it with his eyes and his father was behind the boy holding both him and the plant with his presence. Around the father, son and plants, there was a bubble of quiet respect and attention. I walked up to have a look and was shown a beautiful bug on the stem of a plant. When I walked away, they were still sitting together, sharing the moment. The next morning, the boy returned with a colorful moth in a jar and was delighted to share it with his friends. Lucky boy I thought but not because he had found a moth, nature is bountiful. He was lucky because in spite of the busy tempo of our world, his dad gifted him with his presence. Instead of rushing his four-year-old along or allowing a beeping cell phone to distract him, he was present to his son's fascination with bugs. It was a wonder-filled event, one I was glad to have witnessed. What do children really want from their parents? They want them to be present. By showing up and participating in the child's world (children live in the present), they show that their child's fascination with life is worthy of attention. They value their child and their child's interests; the gain is mutual. Stop and see the world through a child's eyes and you might discover how wonderful it is. Now that's a gift.