Innocence

Man, I'm 22, almost 23 and already find life tiring. Every day feels like an uphill battle crawling towards some ultimate goal that feels like an endless distance away. Few things happen to be encouraging or relaxing to keep me chugging along.

Yesterday morning though, I saw something really heart warming. A family of three were walking ahead of me as I was heading towards my car for Finance meeting. The dad was wearing a suit, mom in sun dress and kid, who was around 5-7, just in innocent kid clothes. At first I thought "oh another strict looking Korean family heading to church." The kid was giggling and running around carelessly, so innocent to strifes of life and all that other bogus that piles on with age. His father looked weary and mom looked obedient and reserved - one of those moms that wouldn't dare make a peep if her husband gave her "the EYE." The sun was blazing high at noon and suddenly the nothing special trio broke into horseplay by the child's sudden stomp over his father's shadow. He laughed so purely as he again stomped over his dad's shadow and screamed "APPA! Chaemisuh!" This father had an iron face, one of those Korean men faces that bears no emotion with wrinkles hardened by experiences in life. I thought he was going to ignore the kid and keep walking. Dude was serious, dude was in a suit.

I keep observing and suddenly the father breaks out into a squat and hands up imitating claws. His child looked back at him, frozen by surprise....slowly as the sun would climb over those grey covering clouds, with eyes curled like a crescent moon, cheeks overflowing with flesh, the kid broke out in a happy laughter. The father started stomping around imitating a monster and they played together so innocently and lovingly. The mother slowed down her pace and watched with a satisfying smile. It was picture perfect and so endearing.

I didn't even know it, but I was stunned and stationary. I found myself smiling stupidly as I looked on at that happy family. They saw me smiling at their child, acknowledged me and went on their way. To me...it was something revealing. It's sad on one end...I mean, I can't even say I miss that because I've never experienced that as a child to begin with. But the encouraging part is that I vow to not rob my kids of that when they're here. My goal will be a winding path difficult to follow; but, I have full faith in God and my family that they'll keep me chugging along. It's my job to make their walk with me a memorable and enjoyable one. This is a responsibility I'll willingly take on.

What man can conquer the world if he can't even conquer his own family?