Once upon a time, in a part of the country far north of here, three children were playing in the snow. Kids love the snow. They can build snowmen, have snowball fights, go sledding there were all kinds of fun things to do in snowy weather that you couldn't do when it was warm outside. These particular children were especially having fun on that day. They had discovered a large pond that had become iced over due to the frigid weather, and to the three five-year-olds all the slipping and sliding they were experiencing on the ice was about the best time theyd had all winter. What the children didnt know is what the sign posted on the edge of the pond said. They saw the sign, but being five-year-olds, they couldnt read it. To them, that sign was just another object among the trees and brush lining the pond. They thought nothing of what it might have told them as they played on the ice, and besides, they were having too much fun to worry about what it said.
The iced-over pond they were playing on was positioned next to a public park. This particular park was equipped with paved walking trails, one of which ran directly beside the pond in full view of the sign whose letters remained a mystery to the children. There was also a clear view of the children playing on the ice.
An older man was out having his afternoon walk that day on the trail. He heard the laughter of the children from a distance before he reached a point where he could see them. There they were, three children playing in the middle of the frozen pond. He recognized the kids he knew their father. Then the man noticed something else the sign that the children were unable to read. It said in bold, ominous letters: Thin Ice.
It might come as a shock to you, but instead of yelling at the children to tell them to stop playing on the ice and to get to the shore of the frozen pond where they would be out of danger, the man simply continued on his walk and thought nothing of what he'd just seen. It didnt even cross his mind that the children were in danger, much less did he think about saying something to them he thought nothing of it.
A few minutes later, a woman on the path walked by the pond. She too saw the children, and she too saw the sign that read: Thin Ice." She also recognized the children. Just as the old man before her, she knew their father. You see, their father was a very well known individual. The woman realized the children could be badly hurt if not killed if she allowed them to keep playing on the ice. But she thought to herself, Someone else will come along and warn them. I dont need to, nor do I feel like it. Confident in her judgment, the woman continued on her walk passed the pond without saying anything to the playing children.
Time passed, and another man walked by the pond. As with the two people before him, this man recognized the children because he knew their father. He also saw that the children were in grave danger by playing on the thin ice. He knew the water was deep and very cold beneath them, and he knew he should say something to them, but he was afraid to. He thought to himself, If I tell them theyre in danger they might not believe me or listen to me, or they might think that Im stupid for believing they could be hurt. Afraid of rejection and afraid of what the children might think about him if he warned them, the man continued on his walk without warning the children of the danger they were in.
Since they hadnt been warned by anyone, the children continued to run and jump and play on the frozen pond. A short while later it happened. At first it was just a small crack, but that crack became larger and longer until it formed a spider web under the children. By now it was too late for the kids, the ice was breaking underneath them. All three fell into the icy water. None of them could swim, and even if they could have made it to shore, it would have been useless. The water was too cold -hypothermia would have killed them. Those children died a horrible death that day, and to think it could have been avoided by a simple warning by those who saw the danger they were in.
But that isnt the whole story. You might be wondering how the three adults who decided not to warn the children knew their father. They knew Him because He was also their father. You see, those three children that were on the ice were the three adults younger brothers and sisters. Their Father had left strict instructions with the adults to keep their brothers and sisters out of danger, but the adults simply ignored their Fathers instructions, and either ignored the danger that their young siblings were in or made up excuses as to why they shouldnt follow His commands. The end result was one very upset Father, and the needless death of three children. All because the three adults found a reason to refuse to speak.
The iced-over pond they were playing on was positioned next to a public park. This particular park was equipped with paved walking trails, one of which ran directly beside the pond in full view of the sign whose letters remained a mystery to the children. There was also a clear view of the children playing on the ice.
An older man was out having his afternoon walk that day on the trail. He heard the laughter of the children from a distance before he reached a point where he could see them. There they were, three children playing in the middle of the frozen pond. He recognized the kids he knew their father. Then the man noticed something else the sign that the children were unable to read. It said in bold, ominous letters: Thin Ice.
It might come as a shock to you, but instead of yelling at the children to tell them to stop playing on the ice and to get to the shore of the frozen pond where they would be out of danger, the man simply continued on his walk and thought nothing of what he'd just seen. It didnt even cross his mind that the children were in danger, much less did he think about saying something to them he thought nothing of it.
A few minutes later, a woman on the path walked by the pond. She too saw the children, and she too saw the sign that read: Thin Ice." She also recognized the children. Just as the old man before her, she knew their father. You see, their father was a very well known individual. The woman realized the children could be badly hurt if not killed if she allowed them to keep playing on the ice. But she thought to herself, Someone else will come along and warn them. I dont need to, nor do I feel like it. Confident in her judgment, the woman continued on her walk passed the pond without saying anything to the playing children.
Time passed, and another man walked by the pond. As with the two people before him, this man recognized the children because he knew their father. He also saw that the children were in grave danger by playing on the thin ice. He knew the water was deep and very cold beneath them, and he knew he should say something to them, but he was afraid to. He thought to himself, If I tell them theyre in danger they might not believe me or listen to me, or they might think that Im stupid for believing they could be hurt. Afraid of rejection and afraid of what the children might think about him if he warned them, the man continued on his walk without warning the children of the danger they were in.
Since they hadnt been warned by anyone, the children continued to run and jump and play on the frozen pond. A short while later it happened. At first it was just a small crack, but that crack became larger and longer until it formed a spider web under the children. By now it was too late for the kids, the ice was breaking underneath them. All three fell into the icy water. None of them could swim, and even if they could have made it to shore, it would have been useless. The water was too cold -hypothermia would have killed them. Those children died a horrible death that day, and to think it could have been avoided by a simple warning by those who saw the danger they were in.
But that isnt the whole story. You might be wondering how the three adults who decided not to warn the children knew their father. They knew Him because He was also their father. You see, those three children that were on the ice were the three adults younger brothers and sisters. Their Father had left strict instructions with the adults to keep their brothers and sisters out of danger, but the adults simply ignored their Fathers instructions, and either ignored the danger that their young siblings were in or made up excuses as to why they shouldnt follow His commands. The end result was one very upset Father, and the needless death of three children. All because the three adults found a reason to refuse to speak.
