When Time Stands Still

I am not sure how I got here, but I now know for a fact that I am your average time-driven uptight human being. I came to this stark realisation this week while eating pizza with my son. Becky and the girls had gone out for the day and would not be back till late. As a result, I decided it would be fun for Jackson and me to travel on the subway to get some dinner. Having not lived in Toronto all that long the subway is still a very exciting event. Jackson was responsible for deciding when to get off the subway and where we would eat when we did. I figured pretty much any stop would be able to meet our dinner needs. Jackson chose Jane Street…not my first choice, but a good one none the less. We instantly saw a Pizza Pizza and the decision was made; we would get a couple of slices and sit by the fountain outside.

I had completed 90% of my meal by the time we actually sat down by the fountain. Jackson however had only just begun. He took small child sized bites as he stared intensely at the fountain and all of its details. How many stairs does it have? Where is the water coming from? Where is the water going? I wonder what would happen if I walked up the fountain? While this was taking place I had my own series of thoughts: What time is it now? How long will it take to get back home? What work needs to be done when I get there? When will Jackson take his next bite?! And then it dawned on me; I was everything I hated about adults when I was a child. Controlled by time and task not spontaneity and wonder. Asking what is next instead of what is now. Convinced that the present was only a pass-time while waiting for the future. Overlooking my precious time with my son in anticipation of more important things. How gross…how distorted…how wrong!

Thankfully, time did not pass me by entirely. I received a cup to the back of the head from God and I began to adjust my mind accordingly. I began to count the stairs in the fountain. I wondered what it would be like to walk up it and how wet my feet would be should I choose to do so. I started to learn from Jackson’s example of child-like wonder instead of impose my practicality on him. I began to enjoy my time with my son, the reason I ventured out in the first place.

To embrace a cliché with open arms, I would encourage you to stop and smell the roses. Watch your child and take from their example and remember what life looked like before wrist watches, laptops, black berry’s and cell phones. Tune out the noise and breathe in the wonder of God.

Rob