Have you ever been told something that reinforces what you have been doing with your kids? When this comes from family, it’s one thing. But from a complete stranger, it’s a complete shock to hear “You’re doing good dad”.
This past week I have been on vacation in Anna Maria Island, Florida. It is a nice get away place where things work a bit slower. One morning my youngest son and I went fishing. We headed down to the Anna Maria City Pier and cast our net out along the edge, got some bait fish, and headed further down the pier. We sat there constantly throwing and reeling as we talked. That was a time that we will both remember.
I saw an older man sitting on the pier and watching everything while nursing a morning cup of coffee. As I moved down the pier a bit and started casting out a bit further, he walked up to me and the conversation went like this:
Older Man : That your boy over there?
Me : Yes sir, he is.
Older Man : He wanted to go fish this morning?
Me : Yes sir, he did.
Older Man : Did you?
Me : To be honest, not really. But this only happens once, so I will sleep later.
Older man : You’re doing good dad. Good luck with the fishing.
Me : Thanks, I needed to hear that.
He turned and got another cup of coffee and then took a stroll back toward the island. I sat there watching my son fish, flashing through the past 11 years of his life, watching him grow into the boy he is today. I needed that, just to hear from some stranger that what I have been doing can be seen.
My wife and I don’t homeschool for people to watch us, we homeschool to try to make a difference in our kids. We take it as a responsibility that we must fulfill from Deuteronomy 6:7. But it is nice when someone comes along that we don’t know and simply says “You’re doing good dad”.