My sister, Jeanine, has submitted this article about young people. It seems to tie into Caleb's article about caring and passion for life and causes. Jeanine would have made a great coach. She sees the good in people and tends to inspire them. Since her story is about young people, I thought I would share a picture of her and me in that role. She is the little one in the picture from 1963. I am the stud in the middle. We are joined by two other sisters. Enjoy!YOUNG ROLE MODELS
by Jeanine Suazo
The young were MY role models today. Although most adults would not want to return to the uncertainty and lack of control of our lives that we experienced when we were young, there are some things the young do that are possibly worth recapturing:
*smile!
*live with passion
*look with fresh eyes
*have faith
*be spontaneous
*trust
*hold hands
*play
*pray
*laugh
*cry
*scream (the joyful way, not the angry way)
*dream
*wish
*create fun
*BE fun
*sing
*whisper
*dance
*dawdle
*share
*be satisfied for this moment
*hope big
*did I mention SMILE?
Two very different events affected my life today.
First of all, my 7 year old received her First Holy Communion! After 5 months of preparation, today was the big day! It was wonderful! She looked beautiful - if I do say so myself - and she was very happy. There were 11 young people stepping out in faith and 11 families bursting with joy!
Secondly, I took 2 of my daughters to the Hannah Montana concert movie. Even with encouragement and permission from the theatre staff, the well behaved attendees were slow to discard proper movie manners, which actually really pleased me. Eventually though, the young (primarily girls) were on their feet dancing and participating as if they were really at the concert.
I love the intensity, enthusiasm, excitement, and innocence of the young. What happens to adults? We do sometimes become so serious that we let our dreams die, or maybe we just get on automatic pilot and forget that we can change the direction of our lives. The responsibilities, pain, and suffering that come our way can rob us of our very lives. This is no dress rehearsal! We must claim our lives back and begin immediately to participate in life! There is a saying that all men (women, too) need 3 things: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. A satisfying life can be had, but we can't just react to what comes our way. Just like when we were young, we must be PROactive and drive our lives! Look at those things that the young can teach us........the list, which is easy for a young person can be intimidating to an adult! How preposterous for me to mention such crazy things! Dream? Trust? Play? Smile? Have fun? DAWDLE???? Maybe we can't give in to every selfish whim, but maybe, just maybe our lives would be richer and the lives we touch would be richer if we remembered to try to seek happiness and joy......
The young were MY role models today. Although most adults would not want to return to the uncertainty and lack of control of our lives that we experienced when we were young, there are some things the young do that are possibly worth recapturing:
*smile!
*live with passion
*look with fresh eyes
*have faith
*be spontaneous
*trust
*hold hands
*play
*pray
*laugh
*cry
*scream (the joyful way, not the angry way)
*dream
*wish
*create fun
*BE fun
*sing
*whisper
*dance
*dawdle
*share
*be satisfied for this moment
*hope big
*did I mention SMILE?
Two very different events affected my life today.
First of all, my 7 year old received her First Holy Communion! After 5 months of preparation, today was the big day! It was wonderful! She looked beautiful - if I do say so myself - and she was very happy. There were 11 young people stepping out in faith and 11 families bursting with joy!
Secondly, I took 2 of my daughters to the Hannah Montana concert movie. Even with encouragement and permission from the theatre staff, the well behaved attendees were slow to discard proper movie manners, which actually really pleased me. Eventually though, the young (primarily girls) were on their feet dancing and participating as if they were really at the concert.
I love the intensity, enthusiasm, excitement, and innocence of the young. What happens to adults? We do sometimes become so serious that we let our dreams die, or maybe we just get on automatic pilot and forget that we can change the direction of our lives. The responsibilities, pain, and suffering that come our way can rob us of our very lives. This is no dress rehearsal! We must claim our lives back and begin immediately to participate in life! There is a saying that all men (women, too) need 3 things: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. A satisfying life can be had, but we can't just react to what comes our way. Just like when we were young, we must be PROactive and drive our lives! Look at those things that the young can teach us........the list, which is easy for a young person can be intimidating to an adult! How preposterous for me to mention such crazy things! Dream? Trust? Play? Smile? Have fun? DAWDLE???? Maybe we can't give in to every selfish whim, but maybe, just maybe our lives would be richer and the lives we touch would be richer if we remembered to try to seek happiness and joy......
Well done, sister. Today i get to be with your granddaughters. i plan on taking your advice.
Thank you.
3 comments:
Jeanine,
Very thought provoking. In reading your article, one key difference popped into my mind that I feel may be the contributing factor, if not the sole cause of those differences you so aptly pointed out in your article. In one word, responsibility. The question is how do you balance the responsibilities to prevent ourselves from becoming mired in sluggish seriousness and boring tenacity of adherence to our daily routine? Especially when many of the responsibilities that adulthood brings, can provide so much pleasure. For instance, those same youth that you admire so duly are the greatest responsibility causing our demise into seriousness. Perhaps that is the answer as well, to seek in our responsibilities, the inherent joys they can bring. What I am saying is perhaps the key is to recognize and own the responsibility while shedding the cloaks of requirements and mundane from them at the same time. Laugh when your children laughs, play while you work, surround yourself with individuals who can help you share the responsibilities and enhance the pleasures?
No matter how you cut, I hope more people open themselves up to the possibility of living.
-Caleb
I have long-considered another way to utilize the "life" that youngsters tend to embrace. It occurs to me that new widows and widowers would be well served to volunteer at the local grade school shortly after their loved-one dies. My theory is that it is easy to wallow in self-pity and depression and the dark side of the life cycle. But by surrounding themselves with youngsters the adults would keep things in perspective. There is a future. There is life. There is happiness. There is a lot to live for.
I think you are noticing the rewards of your efforts not the conditions of youth. In most developed societies the adults have worked hard and sacrificed to lessen the burdens that their children and other's children notice.
One hundred years ago our country, and most now-developed countries for that matter, were still an agrarian rural society. Having children was more a factor of practicality rather than benevolence. Families had children to help with the chores and responsibilities around the house and farm necessary for survival. This doesn't mean that the children had no fun, nor the parents enjoyment from their children. The reasoning for having a large family was simply more pragmatic.
As our social structure morphed into a more urban society the average size of a family became much smaller. In 1800 the average household size was 8, and today it is closer to 3.15. This shift allowed the parents the time to focus on their children's happiness and quality of life. As parents assumed more burdens of life from their kids, the kids naturally became happier. With that happiness came all of the joys of life you mentioned.
If you look at the children in under-developed countries, orphans, the photos of kids during the holocaust, or children in abusive homes the conditions of youth are not very prevalent. The more kids, as well as everyone else, is burdened by life's realities the more youthful innocence is lost.
So, when I see happy, joyful and exuberant children it to me is more a reflection of their parents' efforts and sacrifices. You, as well as most parents I know, take on great responsibilities just to make sure the kids are happy and unburdened. You should be commended for providing the conditions of youth to your kids and deserve the rewards of you efforts.
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