Last weekend, my favorite daughter had the urge to haul her box of school memorabilia out of the attic and sort through it. Now this child isn't quite normal. If she has something that needs to be organized, even if it is already in a box in the attic where no one can see it, she cannot let it be. Her mother, on the other hand, is more of an "out of sight, out of mind" kind of organizer. Thinking about sorting a box like that would make me groan (and procrastinate). Not this child.
So Kailey was on her bedroom floor working her way through her box. Every now and then she would holler out a comment to share with me. "This says one of my best friends in kindergarten was Sam. I don't even remember a Sam."Later, she came downstairs with a red spiral notebook in her hands. "Guess what I found?" It was her 2nd grade Take Home Journal. This discovery didn't mean to much to me. I didn't even remember it. Then Kailey explained, "Every week I had to write a letter to you and Dad. Then you had to respond." She had found writings from her Dad!
This journal was a way for a little 2nd grader to share what she learned and practice her writing skills. Now it contains a collection of memories which we will treasure.
Although Kevin was not known for a love of reading or writing, his messages to Kailey let his personality shine through. In her September 28 entry, Kailey wrote about her class's walk down "Camershl Street" as part of their study of where they live. She ended with, "Today we made apple pie." Not surprising, Kevin responded with "How come you did not bring a piece of apple pie home for me? I bet it tasted really good." I can imagine him saying those words in his teasing manner.In a later entry he was hoping to get some more snow "so we can go snowmobiling." That was a typic wish during the winter months. I commented to Kailey that in a few earlier entries I barely recognized Kevin's handwriting. She reminded me that we were instructed to print so she could read our writing.
I'm not certain what provoked Kailey to feel the desire to go through her box again. It was not a disarray of papers without rhyme or reason like one might expect. Instead, it was already an extremely organized collection of envelopes and folders and notebooks. What a treat for her (us) to stumble across this particular notebook.
So today I am thankful for
- An organized daughter who has carefully kept mementos from her childhood.
- A teacher's assigned task which helped students to learn and grow but also engage parents in the process.
- Memories of the time we had together.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13
