06
Aug
2010
Those little moments of Love without Agenda added up over time
weave together a pattern a Love for others to see: a Legacy.
My Aunt, Sister Carol Ann reminded me of the legacy my dad has given us, when she told me how she saw great love when he threw Cheerios on the ground.
My Dad is a man of little words and lots of actions of love. His large tudor style home hosts all of our family gatherings, beautiful inside and out, built on a former nursery lot. Well kept, he does all of his home care himself, working as an expression of love for all who enter.
One holiday as the family gathered around the kitchen table for appetizers, drink and pre dinner chat, my Dad, serving everyone and awaiting my “late as usual” arrival with Jacob-then 1yrs old, took Cheerios and scattered them on the just cleaned floor right in front of the guests. (yes, he cleaned the floor, gramma cooks)
“Pat, why are you tossing Cheerios on the floor?”
“Oh, Jacob likes to dust buster vacuum them up with me and so when there is no dirt on the floor, I just make some work for us to do together when he comes over”
Caring for gramma and family by keeping the floor clean, at the same time caring for little Jacob by finding ways to connect with him….doing this day in and day out communicates love far deeper than any words anyone could ever write or speak of.
Connection and love through “work” has become a style handed down through my dad through me. While it may lend potential to fall short for some who prefer poems and love songs, its a pretty good way to connect with folks, and then model love, especially guys, i think?
God tells His people to: ” Keep My commandments inside of you, and then get them into your kids, sharing them wherever you are, while you sit, while you stand, while you walk and all throughout the day.
Full communication seems to be a nice combo of words and actions.
Today ‘little Jacob’ has grown into Jake, age 20 and is living on his own in college. He and Grampa are making a cat house for his adopted cats with old wood from Grampas basement.
Both boys still throwing Cheerios on the ground.
The photo was taken last year when Grampa and Gramma accompanied Jake to France where he studied for the summer.
Aug
2010
