old people and young people

Oh man. If you had just seen what I just saw, depending on who you are, you may have cried tears of joy. I'm sitting here at Bean Town (a local coffee shop here in Sierra Madre, CA) just thinking about stuff. I look up to find the most gentle looking old man truckin' along with a sweet flannel shirt, light blue jeans (complete with the slightly tilted, massive, wallet impression from years of wear), super old fishing hat, black SAS shoes, and most importantly; he was smiling so big. It was beautiful, not because he was old, or because he looked cool, or even because he was smiling, but because he was holding hands with what had to be his little grandson. The little one was awesome in his own right. He had the normal little kid outfit on (small jeans, small t-shirt), but topped it off with a baseball cap (probably his grandad's) that was way too big for him. They were just walkin' along, enjoying the day! I smiled for so long; and thought, "what a beautiful picture." I enjoy majestic mountain views, and sunsets at the beach. I enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie with cold milk and talking until really late with friends who would die for me (and I, them). I love my family and I enjoy watching people work at something they are gifted at doing. But, I'll tell you, there is something holy about that old man walking hand-in-hand with his grandson.

I couldn't quite put my finger on WHY I thought it was holy. So, as a good Christian should, I looked through Ecclesiastes (and found only negative things...which I really enjoyed) and then Proverbs...and I found it! As only wisdom literature can do, Solomon put my untrained, wordless urging into words nicely, "Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers (Proverbs 17.6)." That man was smiling, because he was wearing a crown! It wasn't an unmerited crown, it was earned through years of trial and victory, blood and tears. That old man probably sat in a little school house with a real mean teacher; and that old man probably fought in Korea or World War II. That old man knows adversity and failure, he probably knows hunger, and he most certainly knows work. He's familiar with cars, but probably only up until they all ran by computers. He probably ran track when he was in grade school, back when they were made of dirt, not rubber. He probably snuck out and got drunk with his friends, and he's probably caught his share of small-mouth bass since then. His hands used to be strong, and he used to be taller, but life has worn him down. He still smiles though! He raised children, and probably messed up a lot in doing so. But, now his kids are raising kids. What a gift. What a crown! That old man walked old-hand-in-young-hand with that little boy, and both were smiling because God created humanity for relationship and when it functions it's beautiful. It's better than a sunset on the beach or a mountain view.

That little boy (Lord willing) has a lot of life ahead of him. He'll have trials and he will probably learn failure. He will get made fun of and he'll figure out what he's good at. He may learn to fish or he may learn more about computers. He probably won't fight in a war like his grandfather, and most likely his hands won't be as hard and calloused as his grandfather's are. He may not grow up to be familiar with blatant racism or how to use a sickle to cut grass, but he might grow up to raise children of his own, and one day he might get to wear a crown like his granddad. My hope is that one day he too will walk by a stranger holding his grandson's hand, smiling.