Growing Upright

Soon, my children will not look up to me. The kids are growing up, and for the vertically challenged members of the Borra family, it's a welcome development.

They're also growing up right, at least in the sense that they feel a keen sense of responsibility for one another and the people around them. Before, whenever we entered a toy store, Tina and I would always remind the kids that "We can play with the toys, but we have to leave them behind so other little boys and girls can play with them," thinking that it would save us from having to buy them toys in the first place. I was delighted with that approach because it was, at least for me, a harmless scam that ought to buy us some time until the kids are old enough to support their recreational activities by taking on part-time jobs.

But the last time that we went to a toy store, Juan and his brother Manuel showed just how much they have grown. To my surprise, it was Juan who reminded his younger brother Manuel that "we can only play and not buy, because other boys and girls will play with them after we're done". Manuel, in turn, proceeded to tell the same thing to his younger sister, Lucia.

I'm not sure just how much they understood what it was they were doing, but it was gratifying nonetheless. Sometimes, we get so caught up in buying things that we forget to enjoy them. And seeing the kids play with, and more importantly, take care of the toys they played with was a reminder of that. It is good to have things, but it is more important to enjoy what we have.

The kids are growing up right. They throw themselves into everything they do with a reckless joy normally reserved for the welcoming of prodigal sons. And when they grow old enough, if they continue to exude the infectious love and laughter that I saw that day in the toy store, their father will happily look up to them.