Father's Day

For Father's Day, I received a hammock. Wow, it is the best gift ever. I lay in it after a draining day at work and stare into the sky, at the trees, and the occasional plane, circling to land in Philadelphia. I actually "space out." Literally, my psyche quiets, and I stare off thinking about nothing. Until ... I hear the shrilling voice of my youngest son Luke, you know him ... he is the "what you said" kid. The shrilling voice asked if he could lay in the hammock with me. I wanted to implement the "no talking rule" in the hammock and the "sitting still" rule. However, what I am realizing is that the greater gift is that my children, all of my children, still want to lay with me, be affectionate with me, and simply take in life with the "old man." So the real gift has been that my children presently and at least for a while longer want to hang with the "old man" and miss him when he is late coming home from work and have a meeting at church. Life is good.