A Man About His Work
Peering through windows is something I seem to be doing a lot of these past couple of months. Generally it involves bouncing Joshua around from room to room as he falls asleep and it is from these eyes into the outside world that I see much of the goings on. Often this is where I witness a bad idea – um, get down from there, Ruthie! Sometimes I witness those things these little ones do when they think no one is looking – but I am, oh I am.
The other day I was in the midst of one such bouncing scene, making my way into the bedroom as his little eyes began to close. From the window I saw something that mesmerized me into bouncing Joshua long after I would normally lay him down and frantically go about my chores.
We were expecting rain, you see, and so those seeds that had arrived just recently had a good opportunity to be planted. Most of us were still under the weather, or simply rocking that little one. But Abram was out there swinging his hoe into the dirt rhythmically as a man does when there are seeds that need nothing more than soil and rain. Stewart gave him a bucket full of soil amendments and I doled out the seeds. It was going to rain and someone had to plant.
He pulled the garlic and fava beans that were simply in the way at this point and left a little bouquet on the kitchen counter for me to use in lunch. And then the radishes, beets, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, collard, and mustard green seeds all went into the ground. His sisters and I made it out just in time to see the final preparations being made by this busy man about his work.
A couple of years ago things looked so different. If Stewart and I were both occupied elsewhere or sick, things simply didn’t happen. A tipping point has occurred and these boys now contribute more than I ever could have imagined to the daily needs of a family, as I was keenly reminded of when they were both out sick.
And while there are many scenes that I take in from this side of the windowpane, it is scenes such as these that I wouldn’t mind seeing again.
‘peeking out the window.’ Let them make those bad choices. Lessons learned in life through oneself have a far greater impact than ‘lessons’ perceivably learned through another.
Good advice for the older children, little brother. I would argue, though, that toddlers, gravity, and cactus thorns don’t always mix. 🙂
Neither does toddlers ladders and concrete floors…
What a joy to see how they move into a bigger roll – I know they feel all grown up when they can contribute. Hug your sweet family for me
I sure hope to raise my son to be a just as capable young man. Being 3-months-old it’ll be a while. I’m curious to know when you and Steward begin to give them responsibilities, if you don’t mind sharing.