These Are the Good Times

My summer vacation involved visiting with a string of old friends, who are now mothers of young children. As such, their lives are a little hectic.

For starters, many of the kids are no longer cute babies. Instead, they are toddlers or school-age children with a fierce determination to be paid attention to. Their personalities are taking shape and all of that growing and expanding consciousness is not always easy to deal with.

Fits ensued, fights developed and several parental reprimands were handed down. My friends profusely apologized for their children’s behavior, but I waved away those apologies.

All of the children in my life (friends, family) are happy and healthy and growing up big and strong. This blessing of good health is not something we can take for granted. So many children in this world suffer from lack of nutrition and adequate medical care.

Also, my friends are blessed to have the resources to care for their children and be available to guide their children. There are so many parents worldwide who are simply focused on survival. Taking the time to nurture, educate and ensure the well-being of their children is a luxury that many, many parents can only dream about.

Poor health and poverty cannot be overlooked. And with the cold, hard facts of this reality in mind, I realize that these are the good times for those of us who are healthy and able to feed our families.