TODAY THE WORDS are OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES. It was two years ago when I wrote this blog post but even though our grandsons have grown a lot, this is still very true today. I thought of this post when Abram and Nolan came to visit this past weekend. True to form, after making a sandwich exactly the way Abram wanted and the added apple slices didn’t hurt; Abram responded in such truthful fashion when I asked him was his lunch good? He said, “Nana you are a good cook; I ate all of my lunch.” I wanted to burst out laughing but it wasn’t the “cooking” that he was talking about; it was him reacting to Nana using ketchup and the cheese he wanted. That was his idea of a good cook. It resonated within Nana. It will always be the love put into anything you do for someone else. Out of the mouths of babes or now, a seven year old little man of truth.Here is the original post which has been the post most viewed by an international audience:
This topic is inspired by two of our five grandsons visiting us this weekend. We, as adults, try to express ourselves in a tactful way while children call it as they see it. There is a sense of innocent air when a child is in your presence and it is refreshing for a change. It is a lesson to all of us grown up kids, who some are more grown up than others to remember; innocence is a good thing. If a child likes something he or she is eating, the words yum or yummy; if they don’t they express that dislike as much. Adventures and new things are expressed with eyes wide open, smiles on their faces and they truly enjoy life at its best. They don’t have any trouble telling grown ups if they are not ready to do things; they express when they are ready. Statements like Abram and Nolan were saying, “We don’t like spiders but we would go on spaceships” shows the broad spectrum of their imagination. It is easy for them to say I love Nana; I love Granddaddy but either of us may go up or down on the scale of love and we may score 100 or 500 at any given time. We work hard to get the 500 I can assure you and there is fierce competition between Nana and Granddaddy. (Note from author: The numbers have gotten extremely higher as our grands get older).
Now for the deeper thought…..Innocence is sometimes lost in the adult world and I may not be advocating that we become children and say what always comes to our mind. Children can say things and it is looked at humorously, but what comes out of adult mouths should reflect others’ reaction to what we say. We should however be honest with our thoughts and intentions. Deceit is not healthy for young or old. Remember, children learn from adults and if they hear things that are not true or honest, they learn fast and therefore, innocence may be lost. God loves pureness, truthfulness, innocence, and most importantly, love. All parents, all grandparents, stop for a moment, and close your eyes…..think of one of the precious little ones who says openly and honestly, “I love you Nana Five Hundred” ! Love is wonderful with life thrown in; Life is wonderful with love thrown in!
FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
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