What it’s All About
I like to spend a lot of time in the woods. Everyone needs an escape from the crazy parts of this life and that is mine. I love to watch the woods come alive as the sun breaks over the trees. I love the magic hour just before dark. In referring to sunrises and sunsets, our good friend Lonnie Jones often says, “we only get so many of those.” I hope you take the time every so often to watch the sunrise or the sunset. It is an amazing time of reflection.
This year, more than any other year, as the sun has risen and/or set I have had someone sitting next to me. I’ve been hunting around 10 times since October 15 and I think 3 times I was by myself. Every other time I’ve had my son Jackson (15), my daughter Destin (13), or my daughter Branslee (10). This year they have all showed an increase in interest and this year they have outscored me for sure. Jackson got his first crossbow kill as we sat together and both Destin and Branslee tagged their first deer ever. I’ve been with all of them in those moments, but I’ve yet to put a deer on the ground.
If you are a hunter or you know one, you understand the excitement of getting to release an arrow or pull the trigger. We call that rush of adrenaline, “buck fever.” But for all the excitement I feel when I get to experience that alone it seems to be only multiplied when I get to experience it with my kids. The smile on their faces is worth more than the meat that lands on our table or the trophy that gets to hang on the wall.
I’m sure you have experienced this same thing with your kids even if you don’t hunt. It might be sharing that moment with them as they win a championship in their favorite sport — the one that you spent hours upon hours working with them to perfect their skill. It could be the laughs you hear as they watch that movie you have seen a thousand times but you are finally sharing with them for the first time. Experiencing the joy they have in getting behind the wheel for the first time (and the nervous anticipation you experience in that moment). Their first roller coaster. Those first dates. Walking her down the aisle. Watching them hold their newborn baby.
Why do those moments mean so much? We desire for our children to have the best. We want them to know joy. We want them to be able to deal with what life throws at them. To persevere during the hard times and be able to celebrate the wonderful times. It’s knowing - or at least hoping - that a little part of us lives on. That they will remember the special times with us in the yard, in the woods, on the field, on the river, or wherever else we spent time.
Mostly, it’s just simply about time. We only get so many sunrises and sunsets - and we certainly only get so many of them with the people we love - whether that’s your kids, kids you claim as your own, grandkids, nephews and nieces, friends, parents, grandparents, or spouses. Take some time this week to enjoy some time with someone in your family and share some moment with them that will bring joy for years to come. That’s really what it’s all about.
Ben
Photo by Steven Kamenar on Unsplash