Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Less is More
I would like to dedicate this post to my three-year-old son Adin and his two young friends from Bible study this morning. He reminded me just how little a child needs when it comes to material items.As my friends and I were finishing up our study on the book of Judges this morning, my son and two other young boys decided to abandon their play with the train sets, Legos, and other toys for more "active" play. First, they decided to chase each other around the house. The next activity had us all in stiches. The two older boys decided to be veterinarians while my son was the designated animal. He layed on the floor while they poked at his armpits and tested his appendiges to make sure all was in working order. They were having more fun doing this than they were when playing with the toy that jumped in the air, spoke 10 foreign languages, and played Beethoven's fifth all at the same time! This reminded me of something that happened about four years ago.A friend of mine was injured in a motorcycle accident. She, her husband, and their four young children didn't have much money, so they were staying in a local RV Park. She had sprained her ankle, so I offered to come by and help for the day. As I was playing outside with her kids, some other neighbor children came by. Before I knew what was happening, I had about 7-9 small children under my care. We were all having a good time. One of the kids said, "Hey, let's all go to the park!" "Why not?" I thought. I put the small ones in the little red wagon and we were on our way. The thought did cross my mind that I didn't recall seeing any playground equipment when I drove into the neighborhood, but I placed my trust in my young guides and continued the walk. Soon, the stopped in front of two small trees and began to play. After a few minutes, I said, "Well, let's get going to that park." They yelled, "This is the park!" Thinking they had just forgotten their way, I said, "I'm sure we'll find it. Let's get on our way." They insisted that this was it. Could this be? They were calling two trees a park? I mean, there wasn't even a slide. What was more amazing was that they were having a blast! Part of me was saying, "I could get start asking for donations, holding a car wash, etc..and then I could get them a park with some real play equipment." The other part of me was saying, "They seem to be having a blast with trees, grass, and dandelions." When we returned to their home, their mom told me that those two trees were indeed their Six Flags over Colorado! I started to think, "Gee, how sad," but then images of them laughing as they swung from the trees stopped me short. Now that I have children of my own, I am often reminded that less is more. I can't tell you the number of times Adin has thought of creative play ideas for the laundry basket! I'm not saying there is anything wrong with toys-just the idea that they need a lot to occupy themselves or to be happy. When I think back on my childhood, I recall a few favorite toys; however, most of my memories center around fun activities with my family-waving at truck drivers during bike rides to West Branch, IA with my dad, hearing my mom sing in the kitchen, jumping of hotel beds with my sister, etc. I hope my kids can say that people and experiences are what mattered most in their childhood.:)