Advantages and other Complexities

From time to time I debate and struggle with myself over this concept of "advantages". What ignites it will be an article, or photo, or shared story or ____________( fill n zee blank)...where I see a child the age of one of my children, involved in some great "thing" or singing in a traveling choir, being a musical genius, a soccer star, a kung-fu hero, a mini-Picasso.

And then I mentally beat up myself for not having my child in gymnastic lessons at age 2, piano lessons with hours of practice each week, soccer camps, voice coaches, .....ya da ya da ya da. You get the idea. The "advantages" that come as trappings in parts of our culture in this generation. In other words, for a minute or three, I buy into the pressure, that I need, should, BETTER, give my kids all these "advantageous" trappings, or else I am depriving them.... And ruining the rest of their life by limiting their options to be a world-renown gymnast, concert pianist, or soccer star.

Yet, the complexity that would accompany pursuing those advantages, makes me want to throw up!

Today, sitting in front of the orthodontist office, searching for a piece of paper in my purse to jot down a phone number, I came across something I had written, who knows when:

"Simplicity Amidst Velocity. I want God's permission (blessing) to live a simple life that counts."

Yep! Still do. Have to remind myself, as I once again resist those impulses to do more, schedule more, rush more, fill-up more, provide more......FREAK OUT MORE, that there is another way. Let the velocity speed on by me and my babies. And as much as we can, let's slow the pace, slow the expectations and entitlements and advantages and lower the complexity and just sit a spell.

Look at the clouds, smell the grass, tickle the belly, act goofy...and walk a 'road less traveled.'

Yea, it will make a difference in some of their options. Perhaps. But not necessarily a bad one.