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Influenced by surroundings

Yesterday at church I went to say hello to Kathleen and her newborn daughter, Shana. After a few minutes Kathleen asked me if I wanted to hold Shana --before I could say no, she handed her over to me and started walking away to find her two other sons (lol).

I've often enjoyed watching and admiring babies from a distance. Partly because holding such a precious and fragile baby in my arms seemed like a daunting task, and also because I know I'm not particularly gifted with children. But when I was holding Shana yesterday for a good ten minutes, I wondered what I should say to this ten week year-old baby.

I knew her body hadn't developed biologically to comprehend everything people said to her or around her, but I just felt like every little thing could leave a mark in her future perceptions.

If I could let my child know ONE thing, what would it be? Mommy loves you?Jesus loves you? You're sooo cute?


I think about the things from my childhood that affected my perceptions of the world later on in life. I may be biased since I speak generally on behalf of business majors, but many college grads dream of having a career that allows them to travel. The movie UP IN THE AIR features the life of a traveling professional who enjoys the perks of frequent flyer miles and hotel points as he lives out of a suitcase and is continuously going in and out of airports. There are definitely appeals to traveling under company dime--my consulting friends love having the ability to expense all their travels, food, and lodging Monday through Thursday every week. But for me, traveling on the job has never appealed because of my upbringing.

Ever since I was born, my dad has traveled frequently on the job. His absence affected my view of a father, authority figures, families, and even men as a whole. Hence, I never wanted a job for myself (or for a future spouse) that required traveling. My dad had no idea his job affected me in such impactful ways, and frankly I didn't know either until just a few years ago. In the same way, I wonder what kind of impact we're leaving in future generations, even newborns like Shana. The thought scares me from time to time, but I suppose I just need to trust that my children will see more of Christ in me rather than my sinful nature.


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