What Kids Know!

What Kids Know

Children are amazing. They often aren’t credited for knowing much. As a high school teacher, I enjoyed seeing students’ faces light up when, after discussing a historical event, they made a connection to a present day news story. In Baggage Burdens., I gave Jill that same pleasure when she, as a single parent, tells her children that they have to rake the leaves today. While her children’s response surprises her, Amber’s insight into how their father drafted them to work around the farm is wonderful to hear. A second example shows the depth that Amber understands her father when she sees him gazing on his deceased uncle’s oak tree.

    The next morning after everyone’s finished breakfast; Jill announces that the family will begin by raking leaves.

    “Oh boy!” responds Matt.

    “Oh boy?” Jill can’t believe her ears.

    “It’s fun,” explains Sarah. “We make a huge pile of leaves in the middle of the garden.”

    “And we race our bikes through it,” adds Matt.

    “Or we pile the leaves up and jump into it,” continues Sarah.

    “Yeh,” says Matt enthusiastically.

    “Or we burry you in the leaves,” adds Amber laughing at the prospect of covering her brother up again this year.

    “You’re kidding!” Jill’s shocked.

    “Dad always lets us do that,” says Sarah.

    “How do you think he sucks all of us into helping him,” explains Amber.

(When Joseph contemplated moving off the farm)

Joseph’s eye catches the top half of the oak tree beyond the garage, near the edge of the family garden. It was as if his Uncle Mike called him. Uncle Mike had planted that tree when he first moved on to the farm. Joseph strolls to it. Seeing a significant new growth always made Joseph proud of Mike.

“May this tree always be a testimony to my life here,” Mike said when Joseph visited him. Memories of Mike’s dreams for his farm return. As Joseph nears the oak, he turns to the weeping birch. Imitating Mike, after his uncle died Joseph planted the weeping birch on the opposite side of the garden. The trees helped Joseph during his grieving.

 (When Joseph visits the farm he used to live on)

When Amber stands beside her father, he points to the two trees and water dripping from the leaves. “See.” He pauses. “They’re crying. They’re happy to see me.”

Amber looks at the glistening water droplets falling from the leaves.

“They miss me.” Joseph’s voice is so low that Amber checks to see what causes her father’s unexpected response. She notices little droplets tracing down his face.

“You’re right Dad,” she says quietly, wrapping her arm around her father’s waist. ‘You miss them too.’

Amber’s insight surprises her parents.  As a parent I can say, “sound familiar?”

a haiku capsule

                                                                            unseen observer

                                                                            accumulates evidence,

child’s insight astounds

My next blog shows unexpectedly love surfaces.