Time with Teens
Yesterday morning after breakfast, I smiled as I thought about the conversations around our house. During the morning, Ray had been telling me details from the biography he is reading about President Hoover and from the book he is listening to about President Eisenhower. For days I’ve been sharing anecdotes from the one I’m listening to by a member of President George W. Bush’s inner circle. I figured that our topics of conversation would seem pretty strange to most folks.
Ray told me about President Eisenhower’s reaction to a liberated concentration camp he had toured after World War II. This must be documented, Eisenhower had ordered, because the day will come when people will say this never happened.
One thing I am learning from my book is how very dedicated public servants can be. This staff member from Bush’s inner circle told about a conversation she had with Condoleezza Rice more than nine days after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. “When did you have a meal away from the White House?” she asked Rice, sometime after September 20. “None since 9/11,” she replied. The next night the staff member had Rice over to her family’s house for dinner. The staff member’s husband had grilled in the backyard while a Secret Service agent stood by to protect Rice. Can you imagine living that way?
I’ve listened to many sad statements in this book and many wonderfully joyous and encouraging ones. Some of the sad statements relate to the staff member’s sacrifice of time away from her family. She talks about how difficult it was for her to be away from her husband and teenage son. She said that she realized that teenagers and their parents spend very little time together. That was greatly exacerbated by her extremely demanding job.
I thought how sad it was to think about teens and parents spending very little time together. Time with our teenage children was one of the most wonderful experiences we had as homeschooling parents. I knew how special that was and cherished it deeply. I still do. I am very grateful that you are having that opportunity with your children, too. It is priceless.
So then, be careful how you walk,
not as unwise people but as wise,Â
making the most of your time,
because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16