It's me Steven and I have decided to give Meg a blog break and let you know about when Sam and I go fishing. I think he has a good time, I know I do, he watches and learns and follows the rules when it comes to baiting the hook, casting the line, watching for hooks to not get in our eyes. Those are all really important life lessons, but he teaches me something as well in those couple of hours we spend fishing and that is the gift of patience and humility. He is such a good reflector for how I am raising him and I know that God made children to reflect the parents as a way to keep us parents on the right path.
Now, Sam and I go fishing at a little pond that my friend, Eric, introduced us to; some DNR thing to restock red drum, not really germane to the story, but it has a lot of juvenile fish in there and as a result they pull and tug on the bait all the time. This is great because it gives the kids (yes RK fishes at times too) something to get excited about. This past weekend was one of those truly ah ha father/son moments and here is how it went (insert wavy flashback scene)...
We pull up to the fishing hole and Sam, in traditional fishing on Saturday behavior, has fallen dead asleep and this is after he got a new Spider-Man fishing rod and we are SUPER excited! So as he naps I thread the hook, floats, etc. so he can have a great time. I have to wake him up and we walk down to the dock and start fishing. In good two year old fashion as soon as the hook is baited we are practicing our casting and we get a great distance of about four inches over the rail and he is excited. I tell him "wait for your fish to bob up and down and then reel it in to hook your fish" and he pulls it in constantly and the bait is still there so we keep dropping our hook and this goes on for awhile until he gets bored. When Sam gets board he just throws bait in the water (kind of like chum fishing) and tells me he is feeding the fish.
Now, this has not caught us a fish yet, but I figure at some point a fish is going to be tricked into jumping right up on the dock to get the bait. This is part of the ah ha moment for me when I watch that childish wonder and simplicity of his motives. I remember how important it is to burn these time into my brain so they are not forgotten, since he is growing up so fast. During this time we now have a beautiful stork come visit and of course what does any two year old want to do? Run and pet it, but luckily the bird is a little too wise for that old trick and manages to avoid Sam, but stay near enough in case we catch something.
I watch as Sam gets distracted often by planes, butterflies, jumping fish, etc. and in the course of those two hours we were out on the pond it occurs to me how much I love him and how his easy going nature endures him to me as his father. Then like a freight train it hits me that I have watch the role model I am setting for him now as he watches me closer than ever before. I mean for crying out loud his memory lasts more than a week now. Well, we stay out there for about two hours and have good jokes (most of which I don't get, but he thinks there funny) and stories (mostly about Iron man and Spider-Man) and quiet time together.
When we leave , with no fish in hand, I think to myself I want this to be a memory for him and I hope our fishing trips become a routine for us. I feel a bit closer to him and think about how I am trying to make deposits in our father/son bank. I have another big ah ha moment as we pack up, you know when something you always have known becomes clear like crystal, and it was this - these times together are setting a stage for him and how he will learn from me what it means to be a son and brother, and one day a father, husband, and a prayerful man of God and I am overwhelmed by the responsibility and humbled by the ease at which Sam accepts my efforts. He never criticizes me harshly (two year olds don't know how to do that) and he still allows for do overs when I need a chance to make a different choice. I am always amazed by my children and I am thankful everyday that God has entrusted them to my keeping for the rest of my life.
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