At Risk…

(from fotosearch.com)

This morning I was pulling into work, and saw a pair of Canadian Geese with five new gooslings. They were walking in single file formation. There was one adult goose followed by four gooslings and another adult goose following behind. Then there was the the fifth little goosling, following a foot behind, still in formation. I thought to myself, “Can geese be ‘at-risk’?”

I don’t mean to make light the issue of our kids’ being ‘at-risk’. I have posted my thoughts and concerns about the issue in the form of comments on several other blogs. It’s an important issue.

Of course, it probably means very little that a goosling is walking behind the rest of the group. The scene did hit me pretty hard, though. Even though one goosling was behind, it was still walking in formation with its’ family. This, to me, is a powerful statement.

Sadly, once in a while, I catch myself talking to my kids about what they didn’t do right. Despite coming home after a day at work, a frustrating trip to the grocery store, or even several attempts to get someone to make their bed, my kids are, B”H, like the gosslings. They stay in formation and that’s what’s important. It’s a bracha.

4 thoughts on “At Risk…

  1. yingerman

    YEP
    It’s tough out there, I’m tired of hearing, you have it soooo easy, in my day we trudged to school, barefoot, in the snow, 6 miles, each way, uphill, in 100 degree weather!
    Today we have unheard of external and internal influental pressures, that no generation had to endure.
    My opinion, of course.

    Reply
  2. Neil Harris

    True there are different pressures. We also have freedoms in terms of living a frum life (seforim available and kosher food) that previous generations could only dream about.

    Reply
  3. yingerman

    I realized that life always a certain fairness.
    The greatest nuvi of them all, Moshe Rabbainu lived at the sate time as Bilaam.
    Sorta as a counter balance.
    In the days where life was simple, there were few sefarim.
    In the days of persecution there were leaders that could prove that in fact there is a G-d.
    Nowadays there is so much gashmius, but we also have Artscroll. 😉

    Reply
  4. frumhouse

    We should enjoy kids while they are young – I think the “falling into formation” issues come up moreso in the teen years. Questioning is a sign of intelligence.

    Reply

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