Friday, March 30, 2012

More & I Want

A pivotal milestone in speech therapy for any toddler--is the mastering of the word 'more.'  What if the toddler simply doesn't want 'more'?, I inquired of today of a speech therapist.  What if she doesn't want 'more cars' or 'more balloons' or 'more bouncing balls'?  She has to--at some point.  That's quite a profound statement about human nature.  I admittedly am not a speech therapist or trained in the discipline of child development--but, it seems logical to me that perhaps there are some things we may not want 'more of' no matter how appealing.  I have a friend who gets her fill of chocolate and never wants more.   I don't want 'more gossip.'  I don't want 'more negativity.' 

When a child refuses to say 'more' for instance, they might be making a big philosophical statement about their life--they simply don't want more of something that isn't stimulating to them!  I used more font to write this.  More size to project it.  My son knows what he wants more of.  More music.  More laughter.  More love.  More wiggling his toes as an example of his true contentment.  More reading with his daddy his Dr. Seuss books and My daddy and me.

He doesn't want more time in colorless spaces.  He doesn't want more cars in a room with a piano. 

That brings me to the 2nd 'catch phrase' of child speech development.  Evidently it is vital a kid learns to say 'I want.'  It seems like our society might be better off if a few million people spent 'more' time not saying 'I want.'  Apparently the fact that my toddler has mastered 'I kiss' or "I do' or 'I go' aren't as strong indicators for development as 'I want.'  I just stood in line at a convenience store watching someone spend $63 in lotto tickets.  Spending a million a year for 250 years--who wants that?

As I ponder 'more' and 'I want'--I'm going to  await the 11:00 results for the biggest lottery ever.  Ironically, I did something I don't even believe in:  I bought $4.00 worth of tickets.  This is ironic because $641 million wouldn't give me 'more of what I love and what I want--family, faith, friends, and a full heart. 

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Palm Sunday and Parades

Parades.  What a fantastic illustration of communal love for the heroes responding to the Chardon School shooting on Feb. 27 in the parade yesterday.   As the bus arrived with the 50+ heroes from the Governor's house, love blossomed like a plam tree in the desert.  Hearing about the parade of love , watching the news and media coverage, reminded me of what is good about community.  Communities that cradle hope springing in the midst of unspeakable chaos and loss.  Communities that find courage and bravery in the face of vulnerability and fear.  The community that gathered along the parade route for Jesus' entrance was unprepared.  And yet, in their unpreparedness the community that poured and flocked to the streets gave of themselves to show honor and respect.  Coats and jackets from their backs.  Simple palm fronds which quite literally mean 'save us now.' 

What do you need to be saved from?

What habits and behaviors do you eagerly seek to throw on the ground in a demonstration of anticipation of relief?

some of the best experiences I've had with parades in my life have been from pressing flesh with humanity around the parade route.  "Pressing flesh' was my mom's term.  Communities are built from realizing our oneness even in our distinctness.  Thomas Merton once said that standing on a corner in Louisville, KY he suddenly was overcome that everyone crossing on the busy streets was his brother or sister. 

Where do you sense community?  Where is it lacking in your life?

Palm Sunday parades and April Fools' Day.  Interesting ironies of the holy.  The foolishness for believers comes from the sudden reality that our Palm Sunday parade enthusiasm quickly turned (in 5 days time) to cries of disdain and death.  A lot happens between the cries of joy, the cries of Jesus on the cross and the waiting for resurrection. 

Planning holiday feast and Easter parties cannot be done absent a thorough awareness that Easter People come from first being a parade route observer.