Cadenza

 

I’ve heard the term “Latch key child” used to refer to those children who regularly spend part of the day unsupervised at home while the parents are at work. Jeremy is such a child, and he comes to Stephen and the safe confines of Mountain View Church to spend his lonely afternoons.

Like Jeremy, my brother and I came home to an empty house after school. My father passed away when I was six. My mother worked hard to support us on her own, and also attended evening classes at the Vocational Institute to further her accountant career. The result was that my brother and I had many afternoon adventures free from parenthood oversight. We also had plenty of struggles, fights, and hours of loneliness. As a parent, I now understand my mother’s concern for our safety in those long after school hours. It is no surprise that Jeremy was allowed to hang out in the Church until his father returned home in the evening.

With today’s dual income working families, I wonder how many “latch key” children are left alone to fend for themselves. And I wonder how they fill their time. Jeremy’s time, it seems, was filled with a purpose. He seems driven to help Stephen understand the Mountain View, its congregation, and the challenges that the Church faces; of which Stephen has just a glimpse one bright October morning in the parking lot after service.