Simple Treasures

Last weekend I took my seven year old to a Division II college basketball game. It was a close game and the home team won, but the basketball honestly wasn't very good. But it was a nice evening out. We sat in the upper section of bench seats. My son loved this because it provided more freedom to run around, and since there were very few people near us, there was A LOT of freedom.

As he roamed the bleachers, he got down on his hands and knees looking for treasures. Within a few minutes he found two surprising items. The first was an exquisite, antique, high-powered telescope. He held it up to his eye and stared down at the basketball court and all over the gym with his new toy. He played with the telescope for about ten minutes before beginning a new treasure search. The second item that he found was a combination laser / cutting machine. While still protecting the telescope, he began burning holes in the bad guys that had suddenly popped up all around us in the bleachers and scaring them away with the rotating cutting blade. In reality, the toys that he found were 1) a button snap and 2) a hex nut with an attached star washer. But to him, they were priceless! And when he lost one of them, you would have thought that Christmas had been postponed ... until he found a replacement ... two wooden swords (wood splinters from the bottom of the bleachers).

He has a great imagination, and can create FUN out of almost anything. He is a pleasure to be around because he enjoys even the smallest things. I pray that he will keep that fun-loving spirit even as life begins to place more responsibility on him!