Prime Times: Hang Time

by Desi Ash

I recently watched the movie “I am Sam” again on Netflix. This movie is about a single father, Sam, who has the mental capacity of a seven year old and his daughter Lucy. The movie does a great job of making the viewer fall in love with this father daughter relationship. I feel this movie shows us the importance of families hanging out together.  In a heart breaking scene Lucy, age seven, is reading her assigned reading book and decides to stumble over a word she knows. Sam and Lucy end up arguing over the word and Lucy eventually tells her dad “I don’t wanna read it if you can’t.” Sam responds saying “No, because it makes me happy! It makes me happy hearing you read.” Throughout the movie we see that Sam truly loves his daughter and question if love is all that is needed to raise kids.

Many times throughout the movie it is when Sam and Lucy are just hanging out that Lucy will ask Sam some deep questions, and the same is true for kids today. It is while we are hanging out that kids feel open to be themselves and ask deep questions.

As we have shared many times, there are only so many weeks left until your kid graduates and becomes an adult. The time you get to spend will them is more valuable than anything because you will never be able to get those moments back.

Jesus is a great example of hanging out with others. He hung out with Zacchaeus over dinner. He spent one on one time with the disciples. He loved spending time with children. 

Philippians 2:1-4 from The Message says:

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Hanging out with your kids is easy when they are younger. Simply running around the house playing tag or pretend or reading books together is hanging out. As kids get older it can be harder to hang out with your kids. Keep trying; find the special hook that is important to your kids. If you kid is really into the NBA than ask what is going on in the NBA, even if you don’t have any interest or care, the fact that you are asking will mean a lot to your kid and will open the door to get them talking.

The movie “I am Sam” reminds viewers that there is something special about the time we get to hang out with our parents, because when it is gone, no one can replace it. Our kids might not always ask for us to hang out with them, but remember it is important for all kids to have time to hang out with their parents.