Red Hats Before White

When they gathered for the conclave, the cardinals provided an example for Jake Frost's family — beginning by listening before casting the first vote. 

In the recent conclave of cardinals, it was interesting to see how the election of the new pope began: with listening. 

The cardinals first spent time together, getting to know each other, listening to each other before casting ballots. 

The Drive-Time Continuum 

Our family is going to try something similar this summer. We’re in the midst of that very busy season of life spanning middle school to early high school when there are many activities, but still few drivers. 

As a result, constraints of space and time mean we can’t do everything everyone wants. Einstein’s Quantum Mechanics dealt with physics of the Space-Time Continuum; our family pushes the outer boundaries of the Drive-Time Continuum.  

Choices have to be made. 

Red Hats Before White 

To navigate those parameters, we’re going to have a family meeting about the upcoming summer. We’re making a family calendar — old school style, poster board posted on the wall, so we can see the whole summer on one sheet.  

On the calendar we’re plotting our plans and activities: practices, tournaments, camps, work trips, FFA trips, even some beach trips, just to make sure we get them in. 

This will require sorting competing interests, so some horse-trading will be involved.  

But if we can hash it out together, the hope is that even though we can’t all get everything we want, we’ll be able to make everyone’s first priorities happen. 

That’s where the listening will be key.  

Red hats before white. 

Summer days are few and precious, as we’re appreciating more and more as the kids get older and our supply of them dwindles. I’m hoping our family conclave helps us make the most of the ones we have.  

Surprise! 

It will be interesting to see how it turns out. When the cardinals gathered to elect the new pope, the one thing all the commentators seemed to agree on was that there was no way there would be an American pope.  

Surprise!  

Turns out cardinals traveled to Rome from all over the world to choose a guy named Bob from Chicago. 

No one expected that outcome, but it seems to have been a blessing for the whole Church. 

Hopefully some listening at the outset of our summer will work as well for our family! 

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Copyright 2025 Jake Frost
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