Childhood Ruminations

Last week gave me cause for reflection about my childhood. It seems to me that in my generation growing up, children were more incidental than produced to become the center of the parents' universe.There was never an illusion that the world revolved around me, anyway.

I think we were usually born out of obligation (that's what women were for) and continuing the family name back then. Maybe that was the way it was when my kids were born, too. Parents loved their kids, but didn't orbit around them particularly.

In fact, I didn't know how to "play" with my kids the way parents do today. Maybe that's why I'm enjoying the role of grandparent now.  I know how to play with them and it's fun. I remember a fellow mom in my neighborhood, when my kids were small, who actually got down and played house with her little girl.  It seemed strange and awkward to me. Now I love a tea party with my granddaughter.

 My kids' dad was much better at it than I was. He would take them kite flying and play endless hours of board games with them. He really had a great time at it, too.

 My parents pretty much had their lives and we had ours. I can't speak for other families, though.  Only the one I grew up in. My mom had her bridge clubs and golf and my dad had his obligations to his congregation. We pretty much had our own world, coming together at the end of the day for dinner together and sharing our separate lives around the table at that time.

I recognize that it was a different time then it is today.  Now parents have so much more to worry about and protect their children from. Maybe, we just weren't aware of the perils out there since we didn't have the media warning us all the time to be careful.

When I was growing up in Panama, I would be off somewhere exploring with my friend Jean  most everyday. One day we would be out on Limone Bay in a canoe paddling around where there were frequent barracuda and ray sightings. Or sticking something into a sea anemone or Portuguese man-o-war to see what would happen. Another day we would be climbing around in old war (don't know which) bunkers along the shore or climbing mango trees playing we were Tarzan and Jane. We would argue about who got to be Tarzan.

My parents didn't have a clue what we were up to. I don't know if it ever dawned on them what kind of risks we might be taking. I know it never dawned on me to clue them in. Our worlds just didn't matter to each other that much, I guess.

Anyway, all four us survived, as did all of our friends, to adulthood. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything. Well, maybe a few more that included my parents once in a while. I don't have a lot of those.