This week we have two grandchildren staying with us. Thank goodness the weather turned warm again because the house we are living in right now is a small two bedroom bungalow, and although it works fine for the two of us it would be a nightmare for the kids to have to be cooped up in this small space with all that energy. I am sitting at my desk this morning watching the band of tangerine lifting the horizon behind the Sweet Grass Hills and thinking about the day we had on Sunday. The weather was so nice that we had the kids out learning to ride the quads until nearly one in afternoon. They took turns following us on the big machine so that they could learn the proper way to handle going up an incline and down an incline and how to moderate their speed accordingly. They learned how to make turns through the bushes and how to drive a quad over rough terrain and fallen logs. They learned to manoeuvre the machines carefully around objects that were in their path and to avoid areas which were dangerous and unnecessary. Then in the open area of the yard we taught them how to spin the quad in circles safely using appropriate speed and circumference so as not to tip the machine over onto themselves.
We shut down the quads long enough to feed them lunch and pack up their gear to go to the swimming pool. After playing in the pool for a few hours; some diving lessons and playing pirate with a group of kids that were swimming there as well, I was exhausted. Taking far more time in the dressing room than the men in our party, my little counter part with waist length hair and I finally exited the pool building to find, as I knew we would, the car parked right outside the door to pick us up. As we approach, Marvin got out of the car to open the door for his granddaughter and he instructed his grandson to get out of the back and open the door for me. I smiled knowing that Grandpa is teaching, through example, how his grandson should conduct himself in life and how his granddaughter should expect to be treated. This may sound a bit old school to some and perhaps it is but it is nice to see that manners can not be outdated.
But the day was not over. There was ice cream to be had and although we had planned a wiener roast for that night, the wind had picked up a bit and the temperature had dipped down making it far too cold on our watered down warm bodies to want to brave the cold. The menu changed to a giant pan of loaded nachos which I know is not the most nutritional dinner fare however the kids had eaten a good breakfast and a good lunch so we felt we would all survive the indulgent treat of a snack time dinner. We went through the Wendy’s drive-thru for a frosty and then headed to the grocery store where Grandpa and his grandson went in to grab some tortilla chips and milk for our dinner. As I watch them walking back to the car I see there is a bundle of flowers all wrapped up in their paper sleeve and I smile again at the lesson be taught through example. I know I am getting flowers again and I also know that Marvin in all his wonderfulness is teaching his grandson how to treat a lady. After an appreciative hug and a thank you from me we settled in for the ride home. The kids could hardly keep their eyes open but they were hungry and looking forward to the dinner we had planned. So the drink of their choice and a heap of loaded nachos was what was served and there was not a crumb left to be had when they finished. After dinner we settled in for some funny videos on TV before calling it a night. It was a fun day and some lessons were taught and learned by the example set by a caring and loving grandfather to his grandkids and I think I learned a thing or two as well.
As I sit here watching the sun rise this morning it strikes me that our day spent playing with the kids and teaching them some real life lessons through example mimics life in general. The ups and downs of the quad over the driveway and ditches and the bumpy fallen logs we drove over are like the trials and tribulations of life. There are many ups and downs and the road is not always smooth but through patience and common sense we learn to make our way safely through the situations life throws at us. Swimming in the pool and playing and sharing a raft with others and struggling to stay on when they tried to tip us off is like the perseverance we show when the ride gets rough. We learn to ride out the waves and to hang on when the water rises up around us and threatens to toss us off and swallow us up. Our instincts kick in and we hold our breath when submerged and draw air deeply back into our lungs when the waves have settled. Our plans for dinner changing to an indoor dinner teaches us that life around us, and all other elements outside our physical beings, does not always cooperate with plans we make and that we can easily adapt to situations around us and make life bearable with our ability to cope with situations as they arise. The door being opened and flowers being bought are two examples of lessons being taught to a young man so that he has some manners and learns to appreciate and treat the opposite gender with the utmost respect and courtesy; a tradition that has been neglected in up and coming generations in my opinion.
Through the small gestures of kindness huge steps are taken in life; far more than these two young children even realize at this time. I am looking forward to tomorrow and we have already mentioned, to the kids anyway, that perhaps at Easter they might like to come back to visit us and spend time with four other kids we have already asked to join us. Family is such a huge part of our lives and we both appreciate being able to enjoy the some time spent with the little people we love. We also know that we may have a thing or two to teach them but they have a multitude of things to teach us as well. One of my daughters once gave me a little tapestry that reads “Grandparents are so easy to operate that even a child can do it”. It hangs in my dining area to this day. I am going to start breakfast and wake the crew to begin our day here and once again, as I finish this article on day two, the sun is painting the backdrop to the Sweet Grass Hills a beautiful shade of tangerine and I am smiling. Enjoy your day!