Monday, January 17

Mine! Mine! Mine!

Those words that every parent hears at some point in the early years of his or her child's life. Luckily for us Fiona (almost two) doesn't really have "mine" issues yet.

"Mine" is a word of greed. We learn from an early age that we have possessions and they are "mine". I was thinking about the future on our very cold very quiet walk earlier this afternoon. Both kids were passed out all bundled up, Henry on my back and Fiona in the stroller. I was thinking about when they get older and about new little ones yet to be born. I was thinking about how many bedrooms our house will need to accommodate all these children. I was thinking of the space we will need for all the toys and clothes and whatnot. I thought back to my own childhood and how there were two bedrooms for five kids. I thought of how it was so important to me to have my own things. Things that I could definitively say were "mine", things over which no one else could claim ownership. I don't know if I want my kids growing up the same way. The idea of "mine" is a greedy one.

Then I paused a minute.

An epiphany.

What if there was no "mine". What if everything belonged to everyone? The very definition of sharing!

Trevor and I are not materialistic. We freecycle everything we're not using.  We used to be pack rats. Now that we live in a two bedroom townhouse we really don't have the room for that habit. We have donated a lot of things to the salvation army. We don't have all the latest gadgetry, we are using a computer that Trevor built back in 2006, we don't have a huge flatscreen TV, or a blue ray player. We have been blessed with two working laptops for our various computing needs. We live on very little and we're happy. We have what we need! We have more than what we need! Trevor and I share everything. We have shared a bank account since before we were married. What's his is mine and what's mine is his. With the two of use there is no "mine". We want to raise our kids the same way.

There will be no toy box marked "Fiona's things" or "Henry's things" just one communal toy box for everything. I know you parents out there may be thinking "You're nuts! Think of the fighting! You will never have a moments peace!" I'm not sure what the future holds. Maybe my kids will fight like crazy, but I'm hopeful that we can teach them from a young age that we need to love each other, that loving is not fighting.  Loving is sharing and cooperating and playing together.

I'm praying that we can raise our kids to love in the same way as the love in 1st Corinthians.

I may be an idealist to the core, but I am hopeful that what I want can be accomplished.

*side note: I will be trying a new recipe later. So stay tuned!!!

1 comment:

  1. I just wanted to say thank you for stopping by my blog! It is great to know that I am not alone in this!

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