Having had our twin grandsons visiting for five days, I thought I’d write about energy. Eight-year-olds seem to have boundless energy. They wake up ready to take on their day and try to expend every last ounce of their energy before bedtime. Their energy makes it hard for them to sit still and nearly impossible for them to stay quiet. Their energy is displayed not only in their activity level, but also in their silliness. A parent’s responsibility is to harness that energy and steer it in the right direction. (And it is hard work to corral an 8-year-old’s energy – let alone two 8-year-olds!) A grandparent helps with this but can also sit back and watch the show. This is the reward for a job well done raising their own children!
Our grandsons had their 8th birthday while they were visiting, so most of our plans revolved around that. Watching them having fun stirred many thoughts in my mind. The blessings of family, the excitement of youth, the pleasure of watching children at play – these are some of the best joys of life.
Children’s energy is fueled by their curiosity and their innocence. They are blissfully unaware of the problems in the world and the grown-up responsibilities, which sometimes seem to overshadow us as adults. Children get excited about little things and look for every opportunity that they can find to have fun. I watched the twins chase little lizards and celebrate each time they caught one. (I have pictures!) Those kinds of activities would not be exciting to me nor to most adults, but for the kids, it was an adventure.
The boys loved being the center of attention at their birthday party. It was a joy to watch their enthusiasm while they blew out the candles on their cake and opened their gifts. Of course this enthusiasm needs to be tempered with thankfulness and appreciation, which must be instilled by their parents. But why not be excited for these occasions? It is alright to be the recipient of such demonstrations of affection, because, isn’t that what birthday parties really are?
The silliness involved in a child’s energy usually tries a parent’s patience (and a grandparent’s too.) But that is all part of the package. The Bible says that foolishness is bound in the heart of a child. And although it is the parents’ responsibility to correct and train up a child in the way he should go, we cannot forget that children are foolish by nature. Remembering this helps us keep our frustrations in check.
Being with my son and his family was an exuberant experience. I was reminded of how fun it is to have grandchildren around and how much I respect my own children. I cried when they left.
Families are important. It is the family bond that builds values in children because no one else cares for a child more than a parent does. And if children are fortunate enough to have grandparents in their lives, they are doubly cared for. All the energy that we put into raising our children is repaid by them becoming adults that we can respect.
As it is with many things in life, it is a balance. As grown-ups, we shouldn’t put away all of our childlike enthusiasm. It wouldn’t hurt us to have some simple wonder and amazement. Maybe it would energize us with more excitement for life. Oh, I know we have responsibilities and pressures, but those can’t be the only things that define us. Why not look for some opportunities to have fun? Laughter is often the best medicine. There may even be times when we can be silly! Of course, I’m not promoting that we shirk any responsibility. I’m just saying that we don’t need to be SO serious so much of the time.
My husband often says that if he could bottle a child’s energy and sell it to adults, we’d be multi-millionaires. We can’t do that, but we can enjoy the energy that children bring into our lives, and we can allow their energy to revitalize our hearts. We can be excited about the little things and seek some adventure. Have fun! Smile! Laugh! Enjoy life like a child!
Note to my readers: One word of warning; if you are a grandparent, trying to keep up with the grandchildren may wear you out! Speaking from recent experience! 😊 Thanks for reading!