Childrens' Lessons for a Grandfather

When we were on vacation in California last month (1), we took our grand kids swimming many times - as much as we could fit in. In fact, my favorite answer to just about all that they asked for was, "Yes." The second day we swam in my father-in-law's apartment pool, Micah kept

Do it again!

asking me to swim and race across the pool, over and over again - and we did. It reminded me of what G.K. Chesterton once wrote: "Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we."(2) I don't remember indulging my own children this way, but this summer gave an opportunity to make amends - one generation removed.
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(1) A road trip from Oregon to central California to the central coast to the Bay Area, and back to Oregon. At its peak, there were three generations comprised of three adults and three children - five and under. Another lesson learned was for the long haul, it takes more than being young at heart to take care of all of those kids. Stay young.
(2) From Orthodoxy, 1908, p. 92.