Little Helper

Hubby just returned (yeah!!!) from a somewhat lengthy international business trip and to celebrate we rented a little cottage in the woods to enjoy a couple undistracted days of family time alone. Separation is always hard on all of us, but it also forces us to grow. It’s amazing how much more you appreciate someone when you don’t always have them around. I know I have gained a much greater appreciation for my husband and all that he does. Mostly I have been reminded how much I just enjoy having him around. A side benefit to our separation was that my son and I got to spend some really good time with my parents and with my husband’s parents. We all got to know one another better. While the separation was probably hardest on my toddler, I think it helped him appreciate the time he has with his daddy even more. It also helped him to know that while sometimes daddy has to leave, he comes back. Of course, he loved the time getting to know and being spoiled by both sets of grandparents, plus other extended family members. My husband returned with a greater appreciation of all that we have and just how rich and blessed we as Americans and as Christians are. He spent lots of time with those who are not living their lives by Biblical principles, and gained a deeper appreciation for how God’s Word has shaped our lives, and we are so much better for it.

This afternoon at the cottage hubby took our son who just turned two out to gather sticks for a campfire tonight. Now my son LOVES to gather just about anything in nature – sticks, stones, nuts, etc. Hubby had quite a decent size handful of kindling collected, so I was surprised when he willingly handed them all to our son. At first I fully expected my son to gleefully throw them everywhere. Imagine my surprise when he carefully carried the whole pile over to the firepit, and gently laid them all in a row next to it! It turns out that just before I had come out, hubby had taught him how to gather sticks and lay them out for later, and he was proudly doing just as his daddy had taught him. I was so proud! As I joined hubby in gathering kindling, Bugster would run back and forth between us, taking whatever twigs we had collected, then carefully walking them over to the firepit. This lasted at least 10 minutes when a collection of nuts and a mushroom captured his attention and he was off to investigate that. I know that there are may ways that my parenting skills fall short – that’s another thing that my recent experience with single parenting taught me. Still, there are moments like today when Bugster shows a strong work ethic or other positive character trait, and I just stop, smile, and thank God for the way he is working in my son’s life despite my imperfections.

That night we planned our fire for right after dinner so Bugster could see his hard work pay off, but while I was cleaning up and hubby was teaching Bugster to gather and eat wild blackberries and what was safe to eat and what was yucky, the sky started getting dark. It soon started to sprinkle. My first thought was what a shame that we wouldn’t get our fire, but instead, hubby stepped up the timeline and quickly got the fire going. I was amazed as my son handed him sticks to add and even added sticks to the fire himself while respecting its heat and not getting too close. Well the rain turned to quite a heavy little downpour, and do you know what? That little fire just kept burning – in the decently heavy rain! It only took 15 or 20 minutes to burn up the little stuff we had gathered and we choose not to put anything bigger on, but for that time, we enjoyed the fire in the rain. I felt like such a pioneer! I think perhaps there's nothing quite like a little rugged fun to recement our family after a separation.