Love’s Warm Radiance

Yesterday late in the day as I worked in the approach of the eventide, at about 5:00 a lady who had come home earlier and parked her car in the garage of her home came out of the front door. As I noticed her quietly traversing the sidewalk to the driveway it seemed that I felt warmth radiating from her direction. She wore a very gentle hint of a smile, not subdued but more like it was gently forming her face. Then a school bus entered the cul-de-sac and the lady livened her step toward the end of the driveway. The door to the bus opened and a small bundle was handed to the lady. It was her young son of about three years of age, sleeping quietly. The lady carried her precious bundle up the driveway to the sidewalk and into the house.

I wanted to call out to her and tell her how lovely it was to observe the warmth of her love. I wanted to let her know how her love radiated and what a joy it was to behold. But I kept working quietly, afraid that she could find my comment to be invasive. In today’s society people have precious little privacy and much to fear from outsiders, so in such an intimate matter I decided that it wise to be still.

After the lady had gone back into her house with her little child, another thought occurred to me. I did not know whether this child was being brought home by the school bus driver from day care or whether perhaps this person was a family member or friend who watched the child during the day, but what occurred to me was how precious little time that parents have with their children in today’s society. From early in the morning to nearly evening the children are away from home and away from the loving guidance and instruction of their parents. Parents today have very little time with their children.

This has changed our society. This has changed the way that our society functions and thinks and lives. The way of life a hundred years ago was very different.

Earlier, Sunday evening, I had mentioned to my wife the observation of how warm and cozy the kitchen is with the effects of cooking and baking filling that area. I reflected upon how in times past that the kitchen was the heart of family life, with the family gathering to the warmth and activity of the old wood stove. How differently families functioned in those days, with the kitchen and its activities as the focal point, contrasted to today, where a big screen TV is the primary place of gathering for the family. Indeed, families lived very differently then as contrasted to now.