I Wonder, What if....

Just a thought. I often wonder what a child would be like that was saturated with love, support and encouragement. Every area of their lives met based on their developmental stage. Cuddling in the infant years to eye-to-eye communication through the tough and uncertain teen years. What would this child be like? Would he/she be considered a prodigy? A individual before their time? A leader?  A anthropologist?

The future of our evolving society does not lay so much in the technological advancement we make, but by the bedtime stories told and the badging of a wounded knees, and shoulders to lean on. The qualities of life are not derived by what we can obtain, but rather by what we can give, a settle smile, a warm hug and the assurance that we am here.


What if we practiced simple moral principles and placed our children above ourselves and provided them the ability not only to dream, but to live the dream. Paving the way for their abilities, gifting’s and talents. As parents, providing our children a stage to shine with humble confidence. Not because they are jockeying for position or have a need to be heard, but because it’s simply who they are. I wonder what that child would look like.

How would this mysterious individual act and how would they see others if they saw in us all of their own potential. What would their moral, ethical and spiritual character be like if they saw us extending a hand of help to the homeless, or returning miscalculated change to a cashier? What if they heard the cries of their parents in the night as they pleaded with God for their well-being?

What would their love look like if they sneaked a peak at mom and dad kissing secretly in the kitchen? If they saw dad bring home flowers and mom excited about a new recipe for her beloved. That even though mom and dad have their differences, they don’t keep score on who is wrong or right. I wonder what kind of love that cultivates.

That every time we as a parent embraced or spoke with our child it wasn’t because we wanted something from them, contrary, we wanted to assure them that they are loved and valued. What if your son realized that rather than tending to house chores or a hobby first, dad secretly woke him up for an early morning guy’s breakfast? That a daughter in her later years could gauge a wholesome date, by the many she had had with her father. What would embracing your son and a kiss goodnight do for your daughter do?

What if they saw us perceiver despite life’s obstacles? What if they saw us fall, but were there to see us rise. What if they saw tears in dad’s eyes, but understood it wasn’t a sign of weakness but of a protector and provider determined and striving to be his best. And regardless of what the day threw at mom, mom was sure to share a smile.

This world is not held together by political parties or scientific innovations, not by banks or factions. Its roots run deep in family, the institution of home. By single parents, working parents, grandmother and uncles who see the value of family and strive to protect it. They willingly stand in the face of bad days and seek to change tomorrow.

We must with tenacity and certainty seek to instill lasting values in our children. However, they must first see these values practiced. The burden of raising a child is not that of the schools or some outsourced service, but that of an intentional parent. We must come to the acknowledgment that we as parents, whether single or married, have been tasked with not just a great responsibility, but also with a great privilege. I encourage “us” (parents) to stop, reflect and engage. To be active and involved, loving and determined. I wonder what that would look like? What if we were those parents?