Every month =
Mart=C3=ADn=E2=80=99s parents took a trip to see Grandma and came home =
on the same train the next day.
One day the =
child said to his parents: =E2=80=B2=E2=80=B2I’m already grown up. Can I =
go to my grandma’s alone?"
After a brief =
discussion, his parents accepted.=C2=A0 They stood with him as he waited =
for the train to leave. They said goodbye to their son and gave him some =
tips through the window.
Martin =
repeated to them: =E2=80=B2=E2=80=B2I know. I’ve been told this more =
than a thousand times."
As the train =
was about to leave, his father murmured in his ear: =
=E2=80=B2=E2=80=B2Son if you feel bad or insecure, this is for =
you!" And he put something in his pocket.
Now Martin was =
alone, sitting on the train as he had wanted, without his parents for =
the first time. He was admiring the landscape out the window.=C2=A0 =
Around him some unknown people pushed themselves in. They made a lot of =
noise. They got in and out of the train car. The conductor made some =
comments about him being alone. One person looked at him with eyes of =
sadness.
Martin was =
feeling more uneasy with every minute that passed. And now he was =
scared. He felt cornered and alone.
He put his =
head down, and with tears in his eyes, he remembered his dad had put =
something in his pocket. Trembling, he searched for what his father had =
given him.
Upon finding =
the piece of paper he read it: =E2=80=B2=E2=80=B2Son, I’m in the last =
train car!".
That’s how =
life is. We must let our kids go. We must let them try new things. =
But we always =
like to be in the last car, watching, in case they are afraid or in case =
they find obstacles and don=E2=80=99t know what to do. =
We want to be =
close to them. as long as we are still alive.
[Ziggy sent me =
this poignant story and now these roles of the story are reversed for =
us.=C2=A0 Teresa and I are 73, retiring, selling our family home, =
sorting, packing, and getting ready for a challenging move and new life =
1128 miles from here. Yes, we have each other, but it is great to know =
that our daughter and our sons are =E2=80=9Cin the last car=E2=80=9D and =
doing all they can behind the scenes to watch over aging parents and =
help us thru this journey]
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"