– Linda
This is an all time favorite picture of mine. Keeping with this week’s movie themes (Sound of Music, Oscars), these two love their loves hard.
Fun is always the first thing to set the agenda of the day for both of them. Restless, already convinced that something better is just around the corner, they are both multi-talented and creative – and die hard fans of Star Wars! Thank goodness the Enneagram explained these two Sevens (Enthusiasts) to me. Playful, versatile, and spontaneous, they can easily misapply their many talents. But when they are focused, they find everything invigorating and see the boundless goodness of life.
The history of Valentine’s Day is decidedly mixed. For our family, it’s an opportunity to share outwardly by bringing gifts to our neighbors (especially ones who are single), and it’s a time to talk about the passions in our lives. So often, our Christian walk is perceived as strict and depressing, but joy is the foundation of a Christian’s life. It is a unique joy, however, tied to freedom.
These two daily remind me the importance of joy. Their imaginations are always in overdrive. What is the point of having everything secure and organized (Enneagram 6 that I am) if you can’t look at the world with a wide-eyed curiosity of all the good things you are about to experience?
Our 12 year old is about to supersede his dad in height. And his dreams may be even bigger than his dad’s. For us, Valentine’s Day is a reminder to keep dreaming because your true passions rarely die. For us, Valentine’s Day is a reminder to love your loves well.
– John Hugh
Time with my kids is vital to me. I hope to engage their interests and create memories of things we love to do. For me, this involves things I already love to do and new things they love to do. So, it’s reading to them, biking with them, coaching them every opportunity I have, taking them to bookstores, and going to movies together.
A few years back, my oldest and I began a tradition. Together, we go see the new Marvel and Star Wars movies. It’s been great. And the movies have been great too. We have our own order and ranking. We have fun. We both like to imagine, to explore, and to create adventure.
When a new Star Wars comes out, it becomes our adventure. We watch every trailer over and over. We talk about what might happen next in the storylines. We actually create possible storylines and tell them as bedtime stories. Will Kylo Ren turn to the light? Who is the real bad guy? Who’s Rey’s parents? It’s awesome.
For me, it brings back memories of movies with my Dad: Empire Strikes Back (the best overall), Return of the Jedi, Temple of Doom, Last Crusade, and others as I got older. It’s special to continue the tradition with my oldest. As Episode 9 concluded, I got misty eyed. This is it: the end of the Skywalker saga. Of course, there will be other movies, and probably other Star Wars, yet we had a good run. We got to see Episodes 7, 8, and 9 together, just the two of us.
Often I’d watch my oldest watching the movie himself, taking it all in. There’s nothing better. You want the best for your kids. You want them to dream big, bigger than you have, and help them meet those dreams. Movies, particularly the best of them, help create those dreams. I look forward to seeing many more with all three of my boys. These stories become our shared stories, memories the best of films can never replace. The movie may be good, but nothing is better than seeing it with Dad or with your son.
Memories matter. This Valentine’s Day, I hope you take time to create memories around your loves and share it with a loved one.
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