Saturday, February 11, 2012

Leaping Back to Simpler Times

I watched my brother as he lay in the hospital bed. A faint smile creased his face. After all the chemo he’d endured, I marveled as to how he could smile at all.

My mind wandered back to when we were kids, when the center of our universe revolved around innocence, laughter, and the love of family and friends.

Me, and my three amigos.


















We played in reckless abandon, without fear of someone snatching us away, without worrying that bullets would fly at us from a random shooter. We hung out with our friends, yes, but we jumped rope, played kickball, softball, and more. During those times, we only stopped our activities for two reasons, one of them when a car approached.

The driver, usually a nearby neighbor, honked the horn as he came close. Like good soldiers, we cleared the deck, ran to the side of the road, and stood at attention. He slowed the car to a crawl. The only thing fired at us was a friendly smile, then the wave of his hand as he passed down the street. 

The second reason for aborting our mission was when our mother called us home for supper. Mothers stayed home with their children in those days, and families gathered around the kitchen table for a home-cooked meal. There weren’t any drive-thru restaurants. In fact, we considered going out for a hamburger a treat, not a dinnertime ritual.

Things sure have changed. Everyone seems to be in such a hurry these days.

But we’ve advanced, haven’t we?

In addition to fast food, we’ve taken great strides in the electronics industry, not to mention other areas, too numerous to list here, each step intended to make life easier, more efficient. But these modern conveniences have also taken away from our time, especially when it comes to children.

Social Media, designed to "connect" with others, is lacking some vital aspects—the sound of a voice, a shared laugh, a tender touch. Kids are even texting on their cell phones to each other as they sit in the same room. As a result, some of them have become disconnected, unable to socialize in a public setting. And it’s not just the children. The same thing is happening with adults.

Thank God for for modern medicine though. Without it, my brother might not be here.

My brother. Would our relationship have been the same if we had grown up in this new society? 

I turned to my sibling and smiled, thankful for memories of simpler times in the past. Although we’ve taken giant leaps, many of them a blessing, our time spent together can never be replaced.







32 comments:

  1. Poignant post, Deborah. I pray for your brother's speedy and complete recovery.

    You're so right; even though our world has gained much by the advance of technology - we might not have met otherwise, for instance - it has also lost much of the sense of community and connectedness it once had. Ironic, isn't it, that a means of communication that connects people from across the globe also isolates them by focusing their attention on a screen and a keyboard. Even in a crowded coffee shop, a person on a laptop is an island in an electronic sea - unless she chooses to converse with the person on the other side of the table.

    I guess it's all in how we live with the technology, isn't it? ;)

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    1. Thank you so much, Traci.

      Yes, it's truly how we live with this technology that makes the difference.

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  2. Excellent post Deborah - some leaps are definitely better than others. I guess our task is to pray that God will give us discernment on which ones to take and how to take them.
    God bless you and your brother.

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    1. That's very true, Bill. I've come to find that I need to balance the time I spend on all of them.

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  3. What a sweet post Deborah. Heavenly Father, please lift up Deborah's brother and her family and give them strength through his fight. Amen.

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    1. What a sweet prayer, Carol. Thank you for being such a dear sister.

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  4. Thank you for being so open. Great post

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    1. Thanks so much, Mike. I appreciate you stopping by.

      Oh, you share the same name as one of my brothers. :-)

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  5. Indeed. Times have changed, and they are better and yet fall short at the same moment. I suppose that is why it is a challenge to see the blessings at times. Thank goodness we have a God of love and hope to inspire us... and miracles of healing to keep us moving forward. :) Great read.

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    1. So true, Nona. Without Him, we wouldn't have anything.

      Thanks so much for stopping.

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  6. This is beautiful and takes me back to a simplier time. Thank you for sharing and putting your heart out there.

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    1. I'm glad it stirred some simpler times for you.

      Oh, thank YOU for taking the time to stop by, Debra.

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  7. Deborah, I loved this post! Thanking God with you for your joy of walking a little longer in your brother's presence. My post for Monday is about the other side -- and the LEAP back into life as we journey through loss. God Bless!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it, Cindee. I look forward to seeing your side of LEAP. :-)

      Thanks for stopping.

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  8. I feel like your brother, in the hospital too many times. The negative leaps my life has taken are not pleasant, yet in God's wisdom they all have an eternal purpose. Great post.

    ~ VT

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    1. I feel for you, Victor. It's a hard road.

      You share the same great outlook as my brother, one of the many blessings of having God with us in our trials.

      God bless you.

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  9. I just want to slap an "Amen!" on this one!

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    1. Slap away, Pegg. :-)

      Thanks for stopping, I mean, riding by. (Nice horse.)

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  10. ah the good old days.
    biiiiig hug to you and your brother

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    1. Ah...glad to see someone else who grew up in those days.

      Hugs back at you, Jack.

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  11. You hit the nail on the head. My wife and I frequently lament that the old days were simpler and better in many ways. I'll admit I would never be a writer without a computer. The thought of typing and re-typing page after page of manuscript gives me a headache. In reality, the two have nothing to do with each other. We could still have the morality and virtues of times past if as a society we chose to. Instead, the world is heading deeper and deeper into sin and chaos. "I'll climb down from my soapbox now," he said, quietly walking away.
    Peace and Blessings.

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    1. I totally agree with you, E.G. I'd never make it as a writer without my computer. It's learning the balance that matters, yes?

      Oh, you weren't on a soapbox at all. Like me, you remember those days. I wish the kids now could have experienced them.

      Peace and blessings back at you.

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  12. As we grow technologically we grow further apart. Shameful and sad... I remember playing outside and luckily we live on 5+ acres so my son still does! A thought provoking post! Thanks!

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    1. I know what you mean, P. We used to make tents out of blankets, walked in the pasture with the cows, and so much more. At least your son can enjoy the same.

      Thank you for stopping!

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  13. I look at my kids sometimes. They have no fear of interest rates or bills. They are protected from all the struggles and anxieties of adult life. I remember being a kid myself and not having to care about all that stuff, and sometimes I envy them.

    May your brother have a full recovery.

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    1. I hear you, Adam. Thank God kids don't have to worry about the same responsibility. It would be yet one more thing to take away from the innocence of their childhood.

      Thanks for stopping, and thank you for thinking of my brother.

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  14. Wow, you hit this one on the nose. My six year old niece has a cell phone! It's crazy. I remember growing up and having fun with my brothers. It would never be the same today. Great things to keep in mind, loved this. :D

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    1. The kids are getting cell phones much earlier these days, aren't they? With all that's happening in the world, though, I can see why. They need them for protection should something go wrong.

      Thanks for stopping!

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  15. Deborah, Wow! what an amazing post! You really touched my heart because I was blessed to grow up in "the good 'ol days" Yes we went outside, played all kinds of games, had a group of friends, we helped each other learn how to do stuff. Exhausted from play, mom called us to come in, wash up, eat and by 9pm we were in bed sound asleep, recharging for another round! I miss those days!!

    I tried to encourage the same lifestyle for my children, when they were growing up, but too much changed. I had a job outside the home, but going out for a hamburger was still a treat!

    Thank you for reminding us of a simpler time.

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    1. Yes, our children are tech savvy but at what price? And how few of my friends even make meals for the family. That's more the exception than the rule.

      God's blessings on you and your family for peace and comfort

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    2. I guess we've all had to change to adjust to the times, Christine.

      God's blessings on you. Thanks for stopping by.

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    3. Sounds like we both grew up the same way, Terrie, and I know all of us have made changes along the way to compensate. We'll always have the memories, though, which is a huge blessing.

      Thank you for stopping.

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