February 8 – “A truly celebration-worthy anniversary”

A word of shocking import from grandson Micah: “If I was as tall as my mommy, I’d be a really short man.”

An announcement of dire necessity from granddaughter Cailyn: “I only have 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 … 9 toys.  So I really, really need another one.”

Yesterday was the first anniversary of the day April got out of the hospital after a serious battle with some as yet unknown malady in which she lost her spleen and was near death at least twice.  We were called upon to perform key babysitting duties so Nathan and April could go out and celebrate.  Now that’s an anniversary to mark.  April has done fantastically since then, and is on track to graduate from nursing school in May.  Woo Hoo.

I saw an interesting sight the other day when we were hanging out with Cailyn in the front yard.  Some of the children who live down the street were playing near the newly established playground next door to us.  That would be the unofficially established playground in the recently created vacant lot.  One of the little boys hand his arm in a sling.  “He fell down in the kitchen and fractured his arm” was the explanation given by the older boy with him.  Not an unusual occurrence by any means for an active young boy.  But he was the one that got my attention.  It was the older answer-man.  He was walking down the street on stilts.  Now these were not just any stilts.  They were not like the stilts my Dad made for Nathan that we still have in the garage and that most recently Jachin has taken a liking to.  Those were solidly made (like everything my Dad ever did), and painted red (believe it or not, also like many things my Dad owned.  He painted the things he made, the things he bought, even his tools were painted red.  That eccentric quality proved to be foresight on his part, by the way, when the tools were swamped in Hurricane Ike.  Very few of his tools were affected by rust).  This boy, however was not walking on Dad-like stilts.  He had made the most of the tools he had on hand.  This boy was walking on upside-down crutches.  His feet were balanced on the hand bars, and the part that goes under your arm had become the feet of the stilts.  It looked a little awkward, but it was obvious he had been at it a while.  He was really good.

Psalms 65:5-7 says, “You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength, who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.”

Father, it was good to remember my Dad.  It was good to thank you again for saving April.  And it is always good to be in the presence of such young, but wise creations.  Amen.