There are many new things being enjoyed right now. New toys are being played with, new clothes are being worn, new kitchen utensils are being tried out, and new books are being read. The celebration of Christmas provides us with many new things. It seems appropriate, then, to celebrate a new year immediately following. There is something, though, that we can celebrate as new every day.
My three kids and I were having a discussion the other day — about Christmas. We were talking about the importance of the events that we celebrate. Obviously we celebrate the advent and birth of Jesus Christ. We celebrate that by giving gifts and sending cards out to those we like. (How those have to do with the birth of Jesus I have yet to understand.) But there is a grander celebration.
I have long been a fan of C. S. Lewis. I have read some of his works repeatedly. I prefer his Space Trilogy to Narnia. My favorite book, though, is a remarkably hard-to-find volume: Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces (London: HarperCollins, 2000). In it are contained numerous essays that Lewis wrote — many which cannot be found in print anywhere else. I read one this week that has humbled me: “The Weight of Glory.”
As a father of three, I can pronounce my affection for children. I may not be able to claim expertise in parenting, but I can certainly claim experience. My lovely wife and I have countless stories that symbolize the joys and struggles of parenting. One thing we have noticed is that the older a child gets, the more independent that child becomes. As parents, we yearn more and more for the days of dependence. As children, we yearn for the days of independence. There is a happy medium, though.
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