The Man With the Yellow Hat

I was almost convinced that the man with the yellow hat had no clue what he was doing when it came to parenting.  We have been reading the Curious George books for over ten years now to our own children, and it never ceases to amaze me that the man with the yellow hat decided it was a good idea to leave a monkey, who was probably as mature as a three-year-old, at home...all by himself. One of my favorite stories is when George and Yellow Hat Man go to the department store in the Big City. While the man was viewing his shopping list, George gets 'curious' and knocks over a display of Christmas presents. The angry manager spots George and thus begins an unproductive monkey chase through the mall. George narrowly escapes out the mall entrance, only to come back maybe three hours later after a subway ride and a trip to the top of the Empire State Building. Coincidentally, George takes a random bus, ends up back at the department store, ties himself up in a gift box, surprises his friend - who apparently wasn't to worried about George being absent for more than a split-second. 

But I can't help but admire the man with the yellow hat. No matter what George puts him through, he loves him anyway.  The man is obviously full of patience and forgiveness.  If my children had rearranged the arrival and departure times at the train station, painted a jungle scene on my living room wall, or took a ride on the book cart at the library, I think I really would have lost my cool. But not this man. When he finds George, he calmly takes him by the hand,  pays for the damages George has made, and leads him home. 

All is forgotten. All is forgiven. He must really love that monkey.


I can't help but compare this man to my daddy. Now, he may have lacked a little bit in the patience department every now and then, but there was no doubt that he loved us. Whatever trouble we got ourselves into, he forgave us and sometimes paid for the damages. (BELIEVE ME!) And when we did mess things up a bit, he encouraged us to do it better next time. 

All forgotten. All forgiven. Much like that of the love our Heavenly Father has for us.

The best thing about my Daddy was that he always tried his best to live a life that glorified the Lord. As far back as I can remember, that was his soul desire.

The man with the yellow hat may not have been perfect, but he did his best and had lots of patience in doing so. Instead of critiquing the man in the yellow hat's parenting style, I think I may take notes next time I crack open a Curious George book.