76 Trombones

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to combine several of my favorite things: spending time with friends, introducing my boys to new cultural experiences, and live musicals. I haven't taken my boys to see a live play since an ill-fated trip to see "Beauty and Beast" in 2006. However, I decided it was time to try again and we were presented with a fabulous opportunity. A good friend on mine and her five young children (four boys and one girl) were participating in a community theater production of "The Music Man." I was amazed by the quality of the production and how well my boys behaved during the performance. (I think the latter was directly proportional to the former) My boys loved watching the colorful, well-paced performance and got so excited every time they saw their friends come on stage. Here's a round of applause for community theater that truly involves the community and provides a wonderful family night out.

Who can find a virtuous woman?

Yesterday we had the opportunity to attend church with our old friends in California and had the blessing to hear the teenage girls do a speaking and singing program. It was wonderful to see these sweet young women, many of whom I had the privilege of working with when they were younger, speak about the importance of developing all of their attributes to prepare them for life and presenting themselves to the world in a way that young men will be attracted to them by more important attributes than their physical appearance. As I sat and listened to them, I couldn't help thinking how I want my boys to find young women like these when the time comes that they will be interested in young women. Then I began to wonder: How do I teach my sons to look at a young woman and be attracted to them for qualities that really matter? How will they learn to value her for her companionship, her intelligence, her kindness, her sense of humor? How do I teach them how to treat young ladies (and all women, for that matter) with respect and kindness, and to expect that respect and kindness in return? At this point in time, even my oldest still deems girls "icky", but I'm sure the day will come faster than I expect that they will be looking at those "icky" girls in a different light. When that day comes, I hope they will be prepared to find virtuous young women who will help them be better men.