How perception changes with time.

Time. The great leveler. Mountains bow down to it. Continents are transformed. Boys become young men, then fathers, and then grandfathers. Not only does the land change with time, but so does our understanding of our place in the universe. The scale is vastly different, as continental change takes place over eons while perceptual change during the course of a single lifetime. The effect on both is undeniable; rough edges become smooth and we see the world as a vastly different place.

I find the photos above fascinating. Me, at 34 years of age, holding my young son. Both of us smiling because we are together, best buddies enjoying the moment. A year ago I could not have seen myself in this position or having the feelings I had for this small one. My vision of the world had undergone a radical change now that I had a child to care for. My son, now 27, is holding his month-old daughter in a familiar pose. My boy became a father and I became a grandfather at precisely the same moment. Both of our views of the world were suddenly facing a new paradigm.

I noticed a vast difference in my thinking, as I am sure my son has. How can I be supportive of the three of them? What can I do to help my granddaughter as she courses through the mists of time? As weathering, erosion, and continental drift alter our planet's surface, so will time and experience change her view of things. And one day, God willing, she will become the mother and then eventually the grandmother, just as my wife has done. Can I make it easier for her, will she remember me when her first child is born?

I think the answer is the same as the question about what causes all this change to occur. Time. I have to spend time with her, with them, together. My decisions have to include them. As my son has matured, left home, got married, and fathered a beautiful girl, he had relied on us less and less. If that trend was to continue I would rarely see them and I know my impact on her would be minuscule. I would be an unknown grandfather; the person who sends birthday and Christmas presents. I would receive the obligatory "thank you" phone call once or twice a year. That would be the extent of my relationship with her. It turns out that time can be the enemy.

The platitudes, "Time is short" and "There's no time like the present" are proverbs grounded in truth. Make every moment count. Be the difference. I want my grandchild to remember me and to be a better person because I spent time with her.

Time will tell, I'm sure of that.

Thanks for reading.     Ericspix     Eric Svendsen