 | Children, KindnessShowing love with a lump of coalPosted Monday, February 18th, 2008 and visited 1022 times, 1 so far today by Dana |
Life as a railroad family can be a little hectic. My husband comes and goes with the trains, sometimes staying for as little as 6 1/2 hours before being called away again. And of course, somewhere in there he needs to get some sleep. It is his job that allows me to stay home with the children while also not having to worry too much about personal finances. Children, however, tend to be very concrete. They only know that the train is what takes daddy away. And daddy knows that “I love you” over the phone doesn’t mean as much as wrestling on the couch. While nothing can quite replace that, my husband has found ways to tell the children they are special and that he is thinking of them despite the separation.
Their favorite? Gifts, of course!
These gifts, however, are not generally items that you could find in a store. In fact, it is rare that they have any real material value. A lump of coal or interesting rock found while walking the tracks, a menu from the restaurant he ate breakfast at, a brochure from the hotel, a map, a penny, and a walnut have all become treasured possessions. While they are frequent, they are not quite routine…and my husband does not even necessarily bring something for each child when he does bring something home. Our oldest stores away her treasures, as she calls them, to draw out when she misses her father. The younger ones tend to drag them around until they are worn to nothing or finally lost, which has been the fate of all of the postcards he has sent thus far. So much for the album I was trying to make for them!
These simple gifts do not represent anything of material value. Instead, they demonstrate that their father thinks of them while he is away in a very tangible way. And while they cannot give him a hug every day, they can clasp a walnut, flip a coin or recite the lines off the back of a postcard while they wait for his next phone call.
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February 18th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
What a great post, I love that these gifts reflect that he was thinking specifically of them throughout the time apart…and that they didn’t all cost money. It’s a great testimony to your kids and your parenting, that these things mean so much to your kids.My dh is home every night, but he often picks up similar things…special feathers, rocks, ear tags (lol), etc. The kids love it.
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February 18th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
These are great memories for your kids and a valuable lesson for all of us: Monetary value does not necessarily reflect the beauty of the gift or of the giver. Thank you for sharing.
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February 18th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Thank you! It is interesting what children will cling to.
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February 20th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Sometimes the best gifts aren’t the ones advertised on television, but those that that are things that someone has touched a life. That’s why there’s so much more value in a family heirloom than the latest toy.
It reminds me of the Dick Van Dyke Show where Richie would always ask his dad if he brought something home for him, and Rob would dig in his pocket and find some lint or a penny, but to the kid it was amazing.