Spitting Frogs…and an eternal perspective

Our Cool Summer Days activity for the day was to revisit the “Spitting Frogs” that Cooper LOVES down in Glendale, CA. This was also our day to go up and visit “Great Ma-Ma” as my son has taken to calling my grandma, as well as some of my aunts and uncles. It’s always a bit nerve inducing to bring a child into a senior home, but I tell ya…this trip made me wish we lived closer to my grandma.

We arrived during the weekly “hymn sing” and I’m thinking to myself, “Perfect…a 2 1/2 year old and a group of elderly people singing out of hymn books, great combo!” There happened to be an empty chair next to my grandma, so Cooper and I took a seat and opened a hymnal. Wouldn’t you know, Cooper was fascinated and sat quietly on my lap for a good 20 minutes while the entire room beamed with happiness while watching him. I had 2 thoughts while we “crashed” the hymn sing…

#1: Join planned activities at your local senior home and spread some youth!

This sounds a bit insensitive, but I think you’ll get where I’m coming from here. Visiting a senior home with kids is PRICLESS to the tenants. However, it is also very draining and, at times, awkward!! So my thought was this…look up activities being held at your local senior home and ask if it’d be alright if you joined in the fun. That way, you have something distracting you, but the tenants are still getting the same amount of joy from your visit.

#2: Your stage in life completely changes your perspective on things!

For example, how 18 years old feels SO old when you’re 6, but when you’re 30, 18 years old feels QUITE young. This realization donned on me as we were singing the words to some of the hymns. Read the words in the following hymns, with the perspective in mind of that of an elderly person. So much more truth, right?

“How Great Thou Art”

“When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!

Then I shall bow in humble adoration,

And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!”

“The Old Rugged Cross”

“To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,

its shame and reproach gladly bear;

then he’ll call me some day to my home far away,

where his glory forever I’ll share.”

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I’m not the type to get all choked up, but as I looked around the room, realizing many of the tenants might live those truths out within the next few months, it was quite humbling and a good reminder to…carpe diem! Which we promptly did following our visit.

We had lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, rode the trolley at the Americana, sat in 2 1/2 hours of LA traffic, and had a family dinner at home with our ENTIRE immediate family, spouses and “adopted” kids included. =)

So what are you waiting for….CARPE DIEM!! =)

June 17th, 2010