Tractors and Aging
Today I am grateful for my job and the rewards and challenges of it. I am also grateful for the smiles our dog Oliver brings to my face.
The new road of marriage is one of many new roads full of promise. My son Sam headed down a new road this weekend when he drove a tractor for the first time. My brother, his Uncle Artie, first gave him a lesson while sitting next to him on the tractor. He was patient and calm while I nervously observed. I trust my brother's judgment and I know that Sam understands that real farm machinery needs to be taken seriously. But I'm a mom, and until that tractor was back in park, I was on edge. But I was also excited for Sam because I know how much this means to him. I caught some of the lesson on video on my phone.
I went back in the house and a short time later I looked out the window and saw Sam driving the tractor solo. I headed back out to capture the moment in my mind's eye and on video. He drove it a short way and did a nice job. He was proud of himself and happy to have the chance. Thanks Uncle Artie!
Parents take new roads all the time. Their children do too. And they are full of promise, hopes, and dreams. Sam is getting older and I am practicing letting go in so many little ways. It's a leap of faith for sure. It's also healthier for both of us.
A less promising road my family is facing is my mother's aging and decline. We've been on this road for some time now, and decline is evident in her physical and mental capabilities. We have concern for her safety and have tried to put some things in place to protect her. This is tough territory to navigate. Our concerns and emotions, her dignity and feelings. We don't all see it the same way and we don't all have the same ideas about what to do next. In ways, this is a different kind of letting go. But it is the same kind of leap of faith. This road leads to a place that is tough to ponder, but one we all take sooner or later.
Another reminder that all we are given is today. Stay present in it. Live life.
The new road of marriage is one of many new roads full of promise. My son Sam headed down a new road this weekend when he drove a tractor for the first time. My brother, his Uncle Artie, first gave him a lesson while sitting next to him on the tractor. He was patient and calm while I nervously observed. I trust my brother's judgment and I know that Sam understands that real farm machinery needs to be taken seriously. But I'm a mom, and until that tractor was back in park, I was on edge. But I was also excited for Sam because I know how much this means to him. I caught some of the lesson on video on my phone.
I went back in the house and a short time later I looked out the window and saw Sam driving the tractor solo. I headed back out to capture the moment in my mind's eye and on video. He drove it a short way and did a nice job. He was proud of himself and happy to have the chance. Thanks Uncle Artie!
Parents take new roads all the time. Their children do too. And they are full of promise, hopes, and dreams. Sam is getting older and I am practicing letting go in so many little ways. It's a leap of faith for sure. It's also healthier for both of us.
A less promising road my family is facing is my mother's aging and decline. We've been on this road for some time now, and decline is evident in her physical and mental capabilities. We have concern for her safety and have tried to put some things in place to protect her. This is tough territory to navigate. Our concerns and emotions, her dignity and feelings. We don't all see it the same way and we don't all have the same ideas about what to do next. In ways, this is a different kind of letting go. But it is the same kind of leap of faith. This road leads to a place that is tough to ponder, but one we all take sooner or later.
Another reminder that all we are given is today. Stay present in it. Live life.
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