Teddy Bear Parade

    Today was a magical day.  (I started to put an exclamation point there, but it just didn't seem to fit.  It was a calm sort of magical, so I'm just leaving the period.  Anyway...)  Last night, after a day that left me feeling frustrated and used, I decided to devote all of today to my girls.  I happened upon an article in the paper about a "Fun Day" at our state fairgrounds, about fifteen minutes from where we live.  So, I read the article to the girls.  Now, normally, I wouldn't do that.  Normally, I would just "surprise" them the next morning with the news.  That way, I'm not obligated.  And, don't think the thought didn't cross my mind!  But, then, this thought followed..."If you tell them tonight, maybe they'll forget some of the frustration and stress they heard in your voice today, and later they'll doze off knowing you're planning your day around them tomorrow."  That's usually all it takes with kids, isn't it?  If you're sincere with them, it literally transforms their image of you.  Give them some of your time, and they'll give you all the time in their world!  They don't grieve over the day that was spent watching Mom or Dad wrestle with the grown-up worries of life as long as they know tomorrow will be different.  (Never forget to give your children hope!)

     Anyway, back to the story.  The article was exciting enough with it's talk of jumpy houses, face painting, sandboxes, hotdogs, and icecream, but nothing so exciting as the teddy bear parade!  And prizes would be awarded for the best-dressed, biggest, smallest, etc.!  Oh, the bliss of being in a parade!  But the idea of a parade full of teddy bears was just too much!  The squeals were deafening (literally) as they tore up the stairs to dig out a teddy bear to dress for the parade, and after about an hour and a half of stealing baby doll clothes to put on teddy bears, they just knew they had the perfect bears for the parade!  

     It took an hour, tops, for the girls to do everything at the "Fun Day", so we left for lunch and came back in time for the parade.  It was nothing fancy, really.  The kids all lined up with their bears, blew little party horns, and marched in a big circle around the little fair...but it was so special to them!  They fidgeted a little as they passed in front of the "judges", and I don't think I noticed one kid that didn't take that part seriously.  It was important to them, and even though they looked around at other kids' bears...bears that were fancier, bigger, or maybe better dressed... it was as if you could see that little spark of hope that their bear just may win a prize.  I think that was the magical part ~ seeing them hope. 

     We have robbed our children by telling them things like, "Now, don't get your hopes up."  Let them hope!  Teach them to deal with "losing", but always let them hope!  When we take hope out of their lives, we're distorting their image of God.  Always encourage them to move out of the past, even if it's just one bad day!  The trials and disappointments here are only "bearable" because of our hope of Heaven!  If we, as grown-ups, need some sort of consolation to get us through, how much more do our children need it?  How will we convince them that they may win a crown of glory, if we never try to convince them that their teddy bear is the best?  If we never try to convince them to believe the little things, they'll most definitely struggle with believing the big ones! 

     The rest of the day was special, with a Winnie the Pooh movie, popcorn, and a trip to visit Mamaw Jenny's house, but for some reason, the whole evening, my mind kept going back to that little patch of grass in the middle of the fair grounds where God reminded me to let some things go, and concentrate on the most important things.  All too soon, they'll march to "Pomp and Circumstance", then, maybe wedding music, and I know my heart will swell with pride, but unless God determines otherwise, the memory that I can see in slow motion in my mind's eye right now and the one that will be with me for years to come will be the few brief, magical moments I watched my girls march in the teddy bear parade.