All of us have memories of childhood experiences. And, often we never know when they will suddenly manifest themselves. to remind us of times long ago.
It's autumn, and today, I found myself in the country, in an unplowed field, next to a barbed wire fence. I had hopped out of the car to open a gate, for our car and driver.
The memory was of hunting, with my dad. Between the ages of 4 and 6, when my mother was at her day, job, my dad, a nighttime worker, was my main caretaker. He was a squirrel and rabbit hunter, and he took me along, with him. Maybe he thought I liked hunting. But, more likely, he didn't have anyone to take care of me. He was being the best parent he could be. So, a-hunting we would go.
I remember I always wore a wool, one piece, maroon colored snowsuit. It did not bend at the elbows, knees or any other joint, on my little chubby body. That itchy, cumbersome suit, made it impossible for me to climb through the barbed wire fence, that my dad tried to make me crawl through. This problem was always solved by him grabbing my snowsuit collar and hefting me over the fence, dropping me a bit roughly, on the other side. Then, I would watch as he casually and nimbly jumped over the fence. He made it seem so easy.
Next, we would find a place for him to take the perfect shot. I was told to be absolutely quiet and sit (I couldn't do that very easily in my snowsuit, either) perfectly still. I did. And, I would watch for him to raise his shotgun. Invariably, I would then yell, "Wait." Because, I had to cover my ears, from the sound of the gun, firing. By that time, the rabbit or squirrel was long gone. Losing the shot never made him happy!
Hunting with my Dad, is not the best memory from my childhood. But, it's a memory, and I do believe that your experiences, good or bad, make you a stronger person.
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Lord. Thank you for lessons learned, for fears conquered, for challenges faced. Give us the strength to be the best we can be. You are our Perfect Example.