Kim’s folks (and Aunt Donna and 2 cousins!) made the drive to see Sadie’s show tonight (Do you get tired of hearing about my kids and their shows?) Singing Onstage presented Willie Wonka tonight, and Sadie had a couple of solos as Charlie–which she nailed! Her dancing skills? Let’s just say that she must have gotten her move from her mother’s side of the fam!
One of the highlights for me this time of year is the annual walk through the yard with Kim’s dad. He’s yard-smart. He has some paper from Penn State that makes him a doctor of plants. He taught horticulture for years. He knows his greenery. And he used to live in this house, which was previously owned by the head of the Horticulture Dept of PSU. There’s lots of unique flowery things in my yard–LOTS. We’re walking around, taking in the abundant growth, and I’m not sure if he’s naming plants or talking about incurable diseases. Things sound smarter and more complicated in Latin…
He’s oohing and ahhing over the flowering, um, white things. He calls Kim’s mom out to see some of the plants that he says she’ll love. She does. Me? I’m noticing all the things that are wrong with the landscaping, all the weeds, all the plants that are threatening to take over the yard.
Now, to be clear, I am not a yardman. I am well aware that things are overgrown and under-nurtured. Over the past 13 years some shrubs have grown to tree-like proportions, and there’s lots of things growing out of control.
Did he notice? Sure; he had to. He had to notice the shrubs turned trees, the mass of bushes growing into one great big conglomeration of green, the haphazardly-hacked holly. Did he say anything about it? No way.
He complimented me on my work to make the yard look good. He praised my willingness to stick with things, saying that he probably would have pulled lots of things out years ago just to save some work in the long run. He noticed some of the things that I was doing right, and pointed those out. The only time he even offered his opinion was when I point-blank asked him what he would do.
How did that make me feel? It made me feel great. I know that I’m not a yardman, but his words of praise made me want to get in the fight, to grab some loppers and go to work. His encouragement made me feel like I was doing something right, doing something good, making progress, that I have what it takes to get the job done.
I want to be that kind of dad, that kind of father-in-law someday, that kind of leader.
The right words spoken at the right time can make all the difference in someone else’s life. The Bible teaches us that the power of life and death is in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21).
I also want to get out in the yard and get some work done!
2 Comments
anniemichaelmurphy · May 26, 2011 at 1:25 pm
I would like for you to start posting videos as well as pictures please and thank you.
stacy · May 26, 2011 at 11:37 pm
I DID post a video of Levi playing bass…you know, there’s a road between OhiO and SC. If you take that one, you can see the shows live!