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The years slip by too fast. Seems I’m constantly having to buy new bigger shoes for Micah all the time. On our journey back to Eleuthera, Emily’s work schedule and mine don’t always coincide, and because of this, I end up on the island before she does and I also stay a day or two longer. Thankfully, the public school system will allow Micah to carry his homework with him, and this means an extended one on one time just father and son!
I love the memories Micah and I get to make when its just the boys. Although we’re quite deficient in cleaning up after ourselves and preparing healthy meals (we do increase our efforts I’ll have you know), we relish the time we get to spend doing “guy” stuff, like playing games and throwing around the football. And it’s not just the free time, I was so proud of Micah helping me work at Windermere. He is such a help, and especially when he puts his mind to it, its like having another set of hands!
One of my goals on this trip was for each day when it was just me and Micah, I wanted to get to the beach – even for only a little while (its a funny thing that when you live in a place, you often fail to take advantage of its natural resources, and only when you leave do you realize how much you took for granted the beauty of God’s creation – there’s a lesson in there somewhere for all of us).
One time, towards the end of our trip, we decided to walk the entire length of the island along the beach. We left our shoes in the sand and tossed the football back and forth as we walked almost 2 miles around the end of Spanish Wells and clear over to the bridge. However, once we made the bend, we spotted heavy clouds on the horizon and I knew it was only a matter of time before the rains fell.
Though the clouds were headed towards us, I thought we might have a chance if we turned around right away. But, it was only wishful thinking, and before we were even half-way back, we began to get walloped with giant cold tropical rain drops. I eventually, took shelter in an abandoned gazebo, while Micah just soaked it all up – splashing and running through the rain and the waves, all the while shouting, “dad you’re already wet!”
It was a great memory, and of all the things I’m grateful for on our trip – all the ministry and reunions, all the opportunity and relationships, the thing I think I’m most thankful for are the memories of just me and my boy, spending some time together in the afternoon, no school, no schedules, just uninterrupted joy.