The Perfect Age
I attended the Holbrook Family Reunion this past weekend and enjoyed a great time with aunts, uncles, and lots of cousins. Joel my oldest didn’t want to leave when it was time to go. Joel’s crying brought back memories of my childhood. My favorite age was 8. All I ever worried about was what and with whom I would play next. The most stressful thing that happened to me then was when my parents informed me it was time to leave my grandparents house. I spent a lot of time around my cousins growing up and we were all really close. When we got together on the weekends at my grandparents house our imaginations took over and we had a blast. We spent hours building huge forts out of square hay bails in a giant barn. I’ll treasure those days for the rest of my life. I think it is part of the reason I’ve always wanted a large family. Sure it cost money but the memories are priceless. Now I am older and life is more difficult because of all the responsibility. How I would have enjoyed staying eight forever. I am looking forward to the ultimate family reunion in the future and I can’t wait to hangout with friends and family forever. Over there I’ll never hear the words “Its time to go.” Maybe this is why Jesus told us to have a child-like faith. What was your favorite age and why?
Matthew 18:2-4 (NIV)
2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
My favorite age is now. I have a lot of similar memories with wild cousins and way too much freedom (and germs!) but, maybe because of what I do for a living, I really enjoy now. I love going in to the classrooms, watching children learn and interact. I love to watch my own children as they discover nature on our land, or think through the things we talk about and draw their own conclusions. I have plenty of great moments to cherish, a few not so smart moments that taught me a lot, and I’m sure plenty more moments that will fall in one category or the other. But I think I really just like now.
I have to agree with Katherine. My favorite is right now as well. I enjoy my kids more than anything else I’ve ever enjoyed. As the days slip by, I try to remind myself to enjoy now with them, as I’m happier and more fullfilled now then I have ever been.
I must agree with the ladies…I also love being my age now! I’ve finally come out of the darkness that was once in me, and accepted His light! Thanks to Him I have a great husband, 2 daughters, and a new life that I can and will live for Him. Our God is so awesome!!
My favorite age was 9 I also remember going to my Grandparents house for the summer and loved it. I remember playing hide & seek in the barn and tormenting the chickens and they would come after me. We would just walk and wonder were god was going to take us threw the years. Well my parents Divorced When I was 12. I had a very hard time with it my grandparents were always there for me. And thats when I ecepted my Lord Jesus because I knew then he would never leave me. I would wake up and go outside and sit under this Big Apple Tree and read my bible and just talk to god he was my father and he would always be there for me. Today I still struggle but I watch these children today and they remind me of myself. And this is why I still work with children I want to give them the love I got from my grandparents.
I was living in Hawaii, skateboarding all over the neighborhood, popping fireworks, The Bicentennial Celebration, Saturday’s at the beach, Luau’s, swimming in the neighborhood pool, hide and seek, The Aiea Soccer Club, Pearl City Swim Club island hopping to Maui and the big Isle for swim meets, gathering up fresh Mango, Guava, and Passion fruit all over Foster Village and Makalapa Quarters, day trips to Waimea Bay, and Waimea Falls. All you can eat King Crab at the Hickam ‘O club. Taking the ferry to Ford Island at Pearl Harbor and riding our bikes on the island. We would climb on the rocks around Arizona Memorial with the fragrant smells of plumeria mixed with the pungent odor of sea air and Naval Warships close by. You can’t bottle that! I didn’t have a care in the world except which KISS album Tim our sitter was going to play for us whilst we ate Hulihuli chicken and malasadas for desert. There was so much joy in this time without the pressures the world brought to bear on my parents. We were all so happy in our innocence in 1976 at the ripe old age of 10!
Now my life brings me to Harrah. I love watching my children grow and discover, and love my wife to tears…but my children’s happiness, upbringing, and future are a tremendous burden that I can’t help but think about daily with angst. My wife’s happiness and dreams are so important to me, and I would love to see those to fruition. I love them all so much and want so much for them. I wouldn’t trade this time for anything, but there is inherent stress built in to this process of child rearing and marriage. I can only thank God for such an amazing journey I have been blessed with in this life.
Nice Job Jimmy. Your blog stirred up just that tidbit of history in my memories and I realize that I have so so much to be thankful for and have had more than my fair share or a life time of experiences, before the age of 12. The Lord has truly blessed me.
my favorite age was 18. i was a senior in high school and my life was about to BEGIN.
My faith was at its strongest… i wasnt worried about bills or things of that nature. i was care free and in love with My God. He was allowing me to see the world literally… i had a few friends but most of all i had my family. We were all preparing for Brandi and I’s graduation. it was really such a care free year… living in the absolute hand of God. Knowing i had the world at my fingertips, so many doors were opening. The last year of High School… its bringing back so many memories. 
YAY!