Don't honk and wave — there are other ways to help our children when we see the struggles they have ahead

The other week I was travelling on the interstate going south. The stretch was a portion, a long portion at that, of construction on both sides of the road. The lanes were narrow. Concrete barriers bordered the whole freeway. Looking ahead in the northbound lanes things were not right. One could see emergency flashing lights. There was a big heavy truck turned at an odd angle and a smashed car.

Traffic on that side was stopped. Being separated from the chaos, one could see more red and blue pulsations trying to race nowhere fast. The traffic was impeding any rescue vehicles attempts to go to their duty stations up ahead. Meanwhile, more cars and more trucks became wedged snuggly between the fixed walls.

Journeying southward one could see the buildup getting worse. With every new car traveling north, there was one more fly caught in the treacherous tangle. As the mess grew like a cancer, one wondered what could be done to help.

What about flicking the headlights on and off? Would honking help? No, of course not. Without knowing the crisis awaiting them, the innocent drove on. Rolling down the window and yelling would be not only pointless, it would be silly. Stopping the car and madly waving would be fruitful for no one and dangerous for everyone.

The snarl was going to be massive, backing up for miles and hours beyond the original wreck. Everyone going south knew something the unsuspecting travelers did not. We knew their future. We had seen it, and it was not pretty.

It was like driving in the opposite direction while turning back the clock. Their time was going forward. Our time and distance were reversed. We were driving away from their future, moving toward our own. We couldn’t predict our own destiny, but we could foretell theirs.

It is similar of every generation to the next, every parent to their child. We have been there, done that and got the T-shirt. But more than a souvenir from an exotic vacation, parents have recall of the crashes and wrecks that can clutter their children's lives. As our children race forward blindly in their individual lanes, we have a vision of what lies ahead.

We know there are challenges, but sometimes the flashing of our lights, the loud honking of our horns or even rolling down the windows and yelling doesn’t get their attention. We even pull over and attempt to stand in their way. We pray they will see the dangers before them and take an exit to skirt the disaster.