A while back a colleague shared with me the five potential topics that a member of her congregation had suggested for the sermon he bid on at the church auction:

The topics were as follows: "The Cat in the Hat and the Cat in the Hat Came Back and Their Parallels to the Old and New Testaments Respectively", "Why I Am Converting to Scientology", "The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle as Proof for the Existence of Freewill", "Three Easy Steps to a 28 Hour Day" and "If You Can’t be a Good Example, You Can Always be a Horrible Warning". Imagine my delight when Cynthia Garland told me that she wanted me to talk about how great kids are!

Kids are great. I even seem to recall that, once upon a time, I was one. I recall more vividly the fact that thirty - two years ago I gave birth to one, twenty- two years ago one came into my life via my marriage to Andy and thirteen years ago I adopted one. Putting it this way almost makes it sound as though children are commodities; however that’s far from the case. Children are to be celebrated as threads from which the tapestry of life is woven.

One might question why it is that, in an age in which childlessness needs no defence, the vast majority of women continue to welcome children into their lives. Despite the acceptance of women in the world of business , despite continuing warnings about overpopulation and environmental degradation, despite the emphasis on personal freedom and self-gratification and despite the huge financial cost of child rearing, having children remains the norm.

The answer could very well be summed up in the words of social theorist and father of five, Amitai Etzioni: "The reason children are recommended – whether homemade or adopted – is that most of them turn out to be an unmatchable source of profound joy and deep pride."

And, I have personally come to understand that as they are becoming that source of pride, everything I really need to know, I learn from children – my own and other peoples.

In fact,

I am hereby officially tendering my resignation as an adult.

I have decided that I would like to accept the responsibilities of an 8 year old again. I want to think the world is fair. That everyone is honest and good. I want to believe that anything is possible. I want to be oblivious to the complexities of life and be overly excited about the little things again. I want to live simply again. I don’t want my day to consist of computer crashes, mountains of paperwork, depressing news, worries about how to survive more days in the month than there is money in the bank, doctor bills, gossip, illness and the loss of loved ones.

I want to go to McDonald’s and think it’s a four-star restaurant. I want to sail sticks cross a fresh mud puddle and make ripples with rocks. I want to think M&M’s are better than money because you can’t eat money. I want to lie under a big oak tree and run a lemonade stand on a hot summer day. I want to return to a time when life was simple. When all you knew were colours, multiplication tables and nursery rhymes, but that didn’t bother you, because you didn’t know what you didn’t know and you didn’t care. All you knew was to be happy because you were blissfully unaware of all the things that should make you worried or upset.

I want to believe in the power of smiles, hugs, a kind word, truth, justice, peace, dreams, imagination, and making angels in the snow. So here are my checkbook and my car keys, my business cards, my credit card bills, and all 32 of my computer passwords. I am officially resigning from adulthood. And, if you want to discuss this further, you’ll have to catch me first, ‘cause…Tag! You’re it! (from Quilting Frenzy)

Living simply, sailing sticks, lying under an oak tree, the power of smiles and kind words. At this point in their lives children are not yet molded and conditioned to view the world and its inhabitants through a narrow lens of prejudice and fear. Neither are they awash in cynicism nor drowning in life’s complexities.

In all their innocence they offer us the treasure of their teachings. Although we think of ourselves as the teachers, instilling lessons, driving home core values, imparting wisdom one soon learns that it is really we who are in training. Children awaken us or perhaps reawaken us to the simple wonders of life. Witnessing the morning dew, a spider’s web or tree in bud, watching a sunset or the slow movement of a caterpillar…through the eyes of a child is like seeing for the first time.

As I engage families in services of child dedication, in reference to the responsibilities of those gathered, I suggest that it is our task to learn from that zest and wonder with which all children come into the world, and which we too often lose in later life.

So what else do they teach us? Well lots actually. How about a biggy like enhancing our humanity. As our interactions with children leave us less self-centred and more giving, loving and patient we have the opportunity to grow as compassionate and caring human beings. And we learn what is really important in life – like making angels in the snow.

Children encourage us to acknowledge other ways of seeing the world. They teach awareness, receptiveness and the importance of keeping an open mind.

I remember when Chantelle was in Grade I and started telling her Dad and I that she didn’t want to be called Chantelle anymore. We passed it off as a stage she was going through and tried to reassure her that it was a beautiful name. Then one day she came home very frustrated and steadfastly determined to have any name but her own. We sat her down and tried to get to the bottom of what was upsetting her.

We listened to her story…her reality, as she told us that she couldn’t stand it any longer; that every day at school, it was "Chantelle, Chantelle, Chantelle". This was certainly a puzzle until, as we continued to listen, we realized that what she was talking about was "Show and Tell". Once she understood what was really being said, she

decided to keep her name.

It’s hard to imagine the world from a child’s point of view. And yet, the ability to put aside our own reality and listen mindfully to what a child is saying acknowledges their way of seeing the world and helps us in our own becoming.

Children teach us accountability for our actions. They keep us on our toes. One time we were having a family picnic in front of the TV. I laid out a couple of small cookies on a napkin in front of each child and myself. Andy’s cookies came directly from the bag. Part way into the movie, Chantelle asked if she could have more cookies and so I placed two more on each napkin. A while later, my son asked for more cookies and Andy said that no, he felt they had eaten enough. The next time his hand dipped into the bag for another cookie, Chantelle looked up at him and asked, "How many cookies do you get, Daddy?" "Hmm," said Andy. "You’ve got me there. I never really count how many I have." What could I do? I put all the cookies on a large plate and let everyone help themselves.

Talk about a double standard. If it was unhealthy for them to eat too many cookies, then it also wasn’t a good idea for Andy to be indiscriminately chowing them down. On the other hand, if its okay to indulge once in awhile, then it’s okay for everyone at the picnic. Wow! In all areas of our lives we need to make an effort to practice what we preach.

Children have the power to free us from the bondage of worry about what others may think. For me, it’s been trips to the zoo that have served this purpose. Why wouldn’t my children ask in their loudest possible outdoor voice: "Why is that tortoise trying to climb on the other tortoise’s back?

And they sometimes allow us to see how really ridiculous we can be.

How many of us have found ourselves in this situation?
You send your child to bed. Five minutes later…"Da-ad…."
"What?"
"I’m thirsty. Can you bring me a glass of water?"
"No. You had your chance. Lights out."
Five minutes later:
"Da-aad"
"What?"
"I’m thirsty. Can I have a glass of water?"
"I told you no!" If you ask again, I’ll have to spank you!!"
Five minutes later…
"Daaaa-aaaad!…"
"What!"
"When you come into spank me, can you bring me a glass of water?"
And, yes they teach us to laugh – at ourselves and along with the simple joys of living.

In order to be outrageously silly, to swing in the park until I’m almost over the bars, to play pretend or sing out-doors I don’t need to tender my resignation as an adult. All I need do is be in the company of kids…spontaneous and uninhibited.

Kids have important things to say to adults...if only we will listen. Like Justin Friesen of Halifax. Justin was one of two child delegates to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. He writes: "Too often world leaders are just a bunch of adults talking and listening to big businesses who don’t care about the environment. Some of them tell lies, like the environment is getting better, that they’re not polluting, or that there is no such thing as climate change – when we know this isn’t true. There is pollution. The environment is changing. And there is climate change. Scientists have proven this for a fact. Look around you. Look at the smog across our countries. There is pollution all around us." He goes on: "All my life I have had to do what adults have told me to do. Now it’s time for the adults to listen to us kids. And that’s because we want an Earth that will be around when we grow up"

A child’s perspective is valuable, a child’s concerns valid.

And, Craig Kielburger, founder of Kids Can Free the Children never ceases to inspire me. Spurred on by Craig, all across Canada children have been engaged in creative fundraising projects which are allowing kids in poverty-stricken countries a chance to attend school and receive an education. According to John Gauthier, a retired high school principal who now volunteers full time for "Kids Can Free the Children" Canadian young people are not only discussing important global issues and developing valuable organizational skills in spearheading school building projects, they are realizing that they can impact change."

We have so much to learn from children. But when the time comes, as it will every so often, that you begin to doubt how good a student you are I want you to remember "some motherly thoughts from a father" by former UU minister and writer Robert Fulghum:

1. Children are not pets.

2. The life they actually live and the life you perceive them to be living

is not the same.

3. Don’t take what your children do too personally.

4. Don’t keep scorecards on them - a short memory is useful.

5. Dirt and mess are a breeding ground for well-being.

6. Stay out of their rooms after puberty.

7. Stay out of their friendships and love-life unless invited.

8. Don’t worry that they never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.

9. Learn from them; they have much to teach you.

10. Love them long; let them go early.

Finally a footnote. You will never really know what kind of a parent you were or if you did it right or wrong. Never. And you will worry about this and them as long as you live. but when your children have children and you watch them do what they do, you will have part of an answer."

In the meantime, perhaps you’ve heard about the theory concerning 1000 marbles. It came into being as a father lamented the fact that he had to spend so much time away from this family…sometimes working as many as 60 or 70 hours a week.

"You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years. Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about this in any detail and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 10000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear glass container. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focus on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time ere on earth run out to help you get your priorities straight."

Yesterday, the man took the very last marble out of the container. He figures that if he makes it until next Saturday then he has been given a little extra time.

The theory has allowed him to keep a good perspective on his priorities. Missed recitals, baseball games and parties will never come again. It’s right now that our children need our involvement and its right now that we need to be involved so that our memory banks are overflowing with all that we have experienced with them.

Kids are great.

May we be grateful for the gift of children in our lives.

Though we cannot save them from trials or

sorrow, we can show how much we love them.

Though we cannot make them into people of our choosing

we can be generous with positive recognition as

we celebrate their triumphs and support what is unique and special.

As they experience their time with us, so shall we learn from them

as we anticipate the day when they shall stand with us

challenging us and offering us a new companionship.

Amen