growing young

yesterday i went lobstering on the edge of the atlantic with cynthia and tina delgado, two of the afterschool kids, and Phil, a software engineer who is an amateur lobsterman and a long time bootstraps volunteer.

after baiting the traps, gawking at skates and naming the lobsters (jeff, thomas and sheldon--insert when harry met sally dialogue here) i realized for the millionth time that i love children. their bright eyes, ever ready sense of wonder, infectious joy and even unrepressed sorrow remind me of what i lack.

perhaps that is the reason that rich's growing young often leaves me on the verge of tears. growing young is such a wonderful metaphor for salvation! my eyes go blank when people start talking about 'saving souls,' but the hope of recapturing the light in my eyes, rediscovering wonder and setting aside the self-rejection that regularly keeps me from truly expressing the joy and sorrow of human experience, inspires me.

Lord God, please enable me to set aside the cynicism, relational retardation and emotional indifference that are part and parcel of 'maturity.' i long to become a child, your child, once again.

thank you for tommy, who once tried to teach me about growing young. it took me four years, but i am finally starting to respond to those lessons.