"What do you miss most about childhood?" Someone recently posed that question on a public Facebook page. Here's how people responded:
Susan: Mom and Dad. Donna: Carefreeness, little responsibilities, my grandparents. John: Seeing Dennis the Menace at Dairy Queen. Jamey: Playing outside until the street light came on. Suzie: The lost physical abilities - jumping, running, climbing ENERGY! Kathleen: Reading for pleasure for hours, and not feeling guilty.
Patricia: Having my parents there to take care of me and love me. Shannon: Being carefree! And my mommy and daddy. Sean: Making clover chains, biking down to the riverside park, Rolling Hills Camp. Susan: Summer seemed to last forever as I explored my world: my small town.
Howard: Being able to ride my bike anywhere and still being home for supper. Shani: Less responsibility and no bills. Jeremy: life without pain. Laurel: Being young. Marcia: Family. Pam: Being outside playing and hearing my mom call me because dinner was ready. Nancy: My parents. Lori: My church.
Catherine: Sitting around the living room after dinner and having family worship with my (ten) sisters and brothers. Oliver: How easy then to find joy in the simplest things. Mom was all the world to me. Jenny: My mom being younger and holding me when I was hurt, or just rocking me to sleep
Donna: We lived in the greatest neighborhood and all played ball together until dark. Our parents would toot the ole 57 Ford's horn 3 shorts and a long when it was time to come home. I miss my Christian parents who prayed for us 4 kids and TOOK us to church every time the doors were open.
Kent: The strength, sharing and special times sitting around the dinner table of 5 kids and a mom and dad. I remember Dad telling us then "These are the Good ole days." He was absolutely right! Each one in our family had a given day of the week to lead in family devotions that ended in a prayer circle holding hands. People could drive by our house and see us all in the living room (especially at night time). One day a kid at school said, "Heh, what were you guys all doing last night? It looked like you were all playing Ring around the Rosie, holding hands together." Instead of explaining I just froze up and said, "Yeah we were." Later I told him what we were really doing. He said, "I wish I had a family like that". You couldn't have asked for a bigger blessing than our family, always enjoying a real and active faith together. I miss that most of all, with the laughter, loudness and laying my head down on the pillow at night and thanking God for all that he had given me.
I find those comments fascinating. Regardless of era, societal fads or trends, what matters most to a child remains constant: Mom and Dad, a loving home, an active faith and simple fun. Let's recover that.
