Relationships

In primary the other day, we had a few kids join our class because their teacher and their subs couldn't make it. I have so little experience talking to kids in this age group, and I sometimes forget that there are many things the kids haven't learned yet. For example, in their mind, if a man and woman are married, they are parents, also known as a dad and a mom. In their experiences with family members or other adults, married folks are also parents. The two go hand in hand from what they have seen. And I realized there was a time I probably thought that too. It is something you have to be taught, probably especially in this area where so many adults are married, and so many of the married folks have children. When we told the kids we weren't parents one of then said to the other, "yeah, they're not married", which is when we had to explain the different relationships. There are differences among being an adult, being married, and being a parent. It is a nice thing to assume, I guess. It means that the children in our classes recognize that one of the purposes of life, and a goal they see coinciding with growing up and adulthood, is an eternal marriage and multiplying and replenishing the earth. Both wonderful goals to have at that age. It was a bit of an eye opener to me though.
As I write this, I am laying on the bird couch, looking at the Christmas tree, and watching the sun rise through the window behind the tree. I love having a few moments in the morning to quietly think. When is your favorite time to sit and think?