Duck, Duck, Goose!

Some days are completely exhausting.  These are the days we can't wait to get home, eat, and crawl into bed until morning.  We are just too tired to deal with anything more.  But those may be the very days we need to endure to the end in order to received a fulfilling reward.

All the kids had a good day.  Nobody received a check mark (the symbol for some needed character adjustment), and the homework was completed before we arrived back at the house.  Last week, the only difficulty we had was Nathaniel's sensory issues on the bus, and class time went well for them all then as well.  I was trying to come up with a good reward for them when Nyssa thought of it for me.

"Mom, since I did all my homework, can we take a walk to the pond and feed the ducks?"

What a splendid idea, I thought, but the baby had just fallen asleep.

"I'll tell you what.  When Gabriela wakes up from her nap, we'll all go down there and maybe have a picnic for dinner."

The kids all hoorayed and everyone was set for a fun time.  Nyssa helped me pack sandwiches, napkins, and cups while I got the milk and the fruit.  I had called Richard at work to give him a heads up, but he had already left the office.  So we bid our time awaiting him.  The children played with the Lite-Brite and traipsed in and out of the house while I worked on my book, looking every couple of minutes to check on them.

When Richard first came in the door, I momentarily considered calling off our outing because he looked so worn.  having given them my word, however, I started to suggest we drive instead of walk or that I take them and let him rest.  Beat though he was, my love was a real trooper and said we could all walk down together.

We had a blast!  The ducks and the geese were literally eating out of our hands.  Gabriela's right pinkie was once mistaken for a piece of bread by a Canadian Goose, but even that bite was a gentle nibble.  She did say, "Top!" But when the goose started to walk away, Gabriela protested, "Come back!"  She proceeded to feed it more.

The children ate their sandwiches and drank their milk.  Richard tossed the remaining bread into the pond.  We watched as the fish, turtles, and water fowl fought for tidbits.  Finally, it was time to go back home.  On the way, Benjamin summed it up for us.

"That was a great adventure!"

He was right; it was a fun experience for the family as a whole.  Richard could have refused to go or accepted my invitation to drive to the pond.  It was well within his rights as tired as he was.  But he chose to go with us on the little walking expedition, allowing the family some quality memory making time.  That is the kind of man he is.

He was the perfect example of one who does not give up in well-doing.  He was weary but he persevered.  In doing so, Richard brought joy to his children and reiterated to me one of the many reasons I love him.  He put the desires of his family before his own.  The children will remember him for this day and will one day realize the immediate sacrifice he made for a better bonding experience with the family.  As he proved, when we do not weary of doing good things, even when we are exhausted,to the bones, we will receive the abundant harvest.