Life Hath Quicksands--Life Hath Snares

There is a poignant, moving line from Longfellow: “Oh thou child of many prayers! Life hath quicksands – life hath snares!” Young people often wonder why parents worry, why they counsel and caution, why they pray and plead, why parents become concerned. Confidence is an enviable attribute. Self-confidence is a quality to be cultivated. But an innocent or unknowing overconfidence is sometimes difficult and dangerous to deal with. But remember this: Those who have been over the road are better guides than those who haven’t. And parents have been over the road – or certainly some of it. They know something of the critical points, of the youthful impulses; of the wise and unwise ties and attachments; of the unguarded times on which life sometimes forever turns. They have seen the road signs. They know how life sometimes breaks our best laid plans – and sometimes breaks our hearts. They know the need for balance, for temperance, for faith. They also know the tragedies that sometimes come by seeking shortcuts, by running the red lights, by cluttering a record that may keep us from opportunities we might have had. Remember, young friends, imperfect though they may be parents have a God-given responsibility -–and experience, insight, inspiration, and a love for which there is no absolute substitute from any source. They know that you can lose time, get on a wrong road, quit school, and find yourselves in frustration and regret for the future. They know the pitfalls, the wrong turns, the importance of even some of the simplest, most harmless looking decisions. Be patient with parents. Respect them. Confide in them. Love them. Listen to them. Be grateful for those who know enough, who care enough, who love enough, who pray and plead, and counsel and caution, and who would do whatever they honestly could to help you to the highest possibilities of life. Remember there is real reason for the concern of others for us. “Oh thou child of may prayers! Life hath quicksands, — life hath snares!”