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By Meghan Peterson.
“Concise – Latin concisus, from past participle concidere to cut up; from com + caedere to cut, strike”[1]
Like the month we are about to bid adieu, the theme forefront for me as a mama of young kiddos is conciseness. As February is short and sweet, so too, children’s way of being revolves around concepts of short and sweet. Let me explain…in brief.
A funny thing happened on the way to motherhood.
I realized that kids do not take kindly to long-winded conversations. They express their ideas with the utmost conciseness. They get to the point. They “use few words…free from elaboration and superfluous detail.”[2]
“Mommy, I am hungry!” “Mommy, I am tired!” “Mommy, I don’t like this dinner!” “Mommy, I have to pick my nose now!” “Mommy, I am not tired!” “Mommy, I don’t want to eat that!”
“Mommy, is it bath night?” “Mommy, is God always with us?” “Mommy, why does the snow melt?”
Short questions require short answers. Short attention spans necessitate an approach of brevity.
Children’s mastery over the art of conciseness is in marked contrast with my millennial generation’s lifestyle. I generalize, of course. As millennials, we revel in memes, the instant nature of Instagram, the quick click of a Facebook posting. Yet, we find it embarrassingly challenging to distill exactly and precisely who we are, what we stand for, and why we are here – in ways that that have real meaning and substantive application.
Do we stand for liberty? For justice? For equality? For all people?
Perhaps it is best not to ask the millennial parent these questions. Just ask her children. Chances are, they will tell you concisely – and freely – what they are all about.
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concise
[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/concise
