Tag / mom

by Nathan Coumbe

A childish sense of wonder

We have completely lost our sense of wonder. Everyone’s in such a hurry that we can’t take the time to appreciate the little things that surround us.

I was out for my daily Artist’s walk and passed a mom and her child. The child was taking tiny steps left and right into the grass, off the path, fascinated by every little thing that he saw. 

Meanwhile the dad was snapping impatiently at the son and the wife: “Hurry up, move faster! Come on, let’s go, let’s get out of here!” 

I was so pleased to see mom stand up for her little boy. She said, “But Daddy, there’s so much to see!“ There was, and he was adamant about exploring every bit of it.

  • What if we could once again find fulfillment from the grass between our toes?
  • How much nicer would life be if a special pinecone fascinated us?
  • Remember that feeling of finding an unusual leaf and wanting nothing more than to stick it in your pocket and take it home?

We could all use a little bit more of that childish wonder in our lives.

by Nathan Coumbe

They’re Just Figuring It Out As They Go

What do you do when your parents die? When you become the adult?

Now you’re the spouse, the parent, the one who’s supposed to have all the answers.

When you’re young, your parents seem larger than life—superheroes who can swoop in and save the day. They’re wise sages who seem to have an answer to every problem in the world.

But as you grow up, you realize a poignant point: they’re just trying to figure things out as they go.

Just like you.

So what do you do when your parents finally leave this world?

You go on, just as they did, trying to figure things out as you go. And you make a lot of mistakes, just like they did.

But now things are just a little bit quieter, a little emptier. You feel just a bit…lonely.

Goodbye, Dad.