Gutted….In the Best Way
Have you ever shared a sopping-wet, makeshift charcuterie board with a 9-year-old sitting at the base of an old oak tree in the pitch-black at 10 PM on a weeknight? Me, neither, until a few nights ago.
Please allow me to rewind. The day before I left the country was a whirlwind. Aside from me being swamped with meetings and errands, the boys had an all-day birthday friend party at a local amusement park. Immediately following the birthday party, they had VBS at a friend's church. Finally, after being gone for 11 hours, they returned home with a burning desire to start a bonfire in the backyard.
Knowing I needed to leave for the airport in the middle of the night, I obliged and enabled their little boy pyromania to run wild. We messed around with the fire for about an hour. Then, Finn realized he hadn't eaten since lunch. Sarah graciously assembled a makeshift charcuterie board on a paper plate and delivered it to the fire pit.
"Dad, will you come sit with me by that tree?" he asked, pointing to the darkest corner of the yard. How could I refuse that invite!?!? We sat together for about 30 minutes, chomping on summer sausage, crackers, and orange slices. He meandered all sorts of ridiculous topics, each funnier than the last.
That moment gutted me.....in the best way. This little boy just wanted to spend time with his dad. That's it. In its purest form, he just wanted me present. He and I both left the elephant in the room unsaid: I would soon leave the country, and there would be thousands of miles between us. But for those 30 minutes, nothing existed but for him, me, and a paper plate of makeshift charcuterie that he would eventually drench with his water bottle (because he's a clumsy little boy). Did you know that butter crackers taste "butter-y-er" when wet? It's science.....believe him. I don't think he's wrong; I sampled the evidence myself.
I felt pretty crappy walking out of the house at 3 AM yesterday morning to drive to the airport. It's a feeling I get every time I travel (especially internationally), as I miss those guys so much. However, at least I knew that I made the most of the precious moments I was granted. I'm so glad I took advantage of those ridiculous opportunities, especially chomping on soggy crackers at the base of a pitch-black tree at 10 PM on a weeknight with a cool little man.
Life is weird. Take advantage of every weird and quirky opportunity it presents. We're not promised an infinite amount of them.
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