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Christopher Robin Moments
by Lisa Holloway Christopher Robin Moments After my son was born, I started reading stories to him while I put him to sleep. While he was too young to really appreciate them, I'd mainly read aloud from books that I was interested in, while the sound of my voice moving through the words helped soothe him to sleep. But sometimes I read him children's books and among my favorites were the classic Pooh tales (not the newer knock-offsthe originals). There was real cleverness, simplicity, and authenticity in the way the characters were drawn. Pooh was the star, but my favorite character was Christopher Robin. He didn't hop like Tigger or hunt heffalumps like Pooh and Piglet; he was just a basic little boy, minus today's TV and gadgets and rounds of activities and myriad of dysfunctionality...which, I guess, would make him a rather different kid than many of ours. Playing Pooh sticks on the bridge down at the lazy river. Heading up "expotitions." Rescuing Tiggers up trees. Doing Nothing up on Galleons Lap with his good friend Pooh. Without worry for his safety or interruptions for commuting, daycare, video games, or other "necessary" activities, he simply meandered through the woods and through childhoodbeing a kid. In so many ways, I try to leave room for that kind of childhood for my son. And at every turn, it seems I am met with objections from well-meaning people who want him to be like other kids (which often doesn't seem very much of a childhood to me) or hindrances born of my own overabundance of responsibilities. It is difficult to let things be slow for him for a while, so he can stop to look at the world around him and indulge his (considerable) curiosity when I am constantly having to Go and Do. There is so much in my son's manner that reminds me of Christopher Robin. And while I don't always know how to manage it, I want to try to give him as many of those Christopher Robin moments as I can. After all, there's time enough later on for him to get lost in the speed of life. For now, I hope he has plenty of chances to watch in wonder at God's world--chasing butterflies, looking up at clouds, exploring, and playing Pooh-sticks. Lisa Holloway is a Christian freelance writer, as well as a copy editor and writer for Inspiration Networks. She has served with the U.S. Navy and USAID/OFDA, and has studied in India. She recently wrote four stories for the compilation "Can My Marriage Be Saved?" www.NewHorizonWriting.net Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |