July: On Family

July 23

Though Madeleine L'Engle wrote the passage that inspired today's reflection 53 years ago, it seems like it could have been written today. You can find the parallels yourself. Trust me, you don’t have to dig too deep. But while the evils of the past find new clothes to wear in the present, something else that rang true then still does today: we must find a way to push forward through the growing seriousness, cynicism, and alienation that’s all too easy to find as an adult, and remember to laugh. We must also remember that children are the future—they carry the fire, they are the hope-bearers. And as adults, we must remember that, at all costs, it is up to us to protect them, teach them to protect themselves, but also to let them teach us what it is to laugh again. 

Is that the cure for this world and its craziness? I’m not sure. But it certainly will keep us going—if only generation after generation, until we eventually find it.

So whatever you do—look at me—don’t laugh. 

• Reflection title: A Little Thank You Goes a Long Way
• Creative inspiration:  Madeleine L'Engle, A Circle of Quiet
• Reflection question: Am I teaching the younger generation how to balance seriousness and lightness? Am I practicing this myself?