Being reminded of the obvious

This past weekend, I was given a reminder of something that I know already: I have been blessed with a pretty wonderful family. Case in point: on Saturday alone, Ed turned in arguably his best race of his running career, Emma scored in the ribbon category and Charlie won (to him) the coveted Trail Walking trophy in the Adaptive Riding competition at the County Fair. “Hardware” was being collected copiously that day in two different counties by Martin kids.

On Saturday morning, Ed ran in the Woman of Courage 5 &10K race in Ladysmith. Even though he has been focusing on 10Ks of late, I wanted him to run the 5K to get a read on how his summer training was coming along. What’s more, this gave him opportunity to run with and against his budding friend Andrew Hetke, who is Ladysmith’s No. 1. All during this past track season, Andrew was the rabbit Ed chased at almost every event. Also showing up that morning was Schmidt from Flambeau, the guy who beat Ed out for the last State qualifying spot in the infamous “snow” run in Bruce last October. I knew Ed would run well but it was a bit of a thrill when in the home stretch there was Andrew and he running 1 & 2 respectively. Andrew had 3 steps on Ed and was able to hold him off but even so, Ed crossed the line at 18:18 crushing his previous best by 7 seconds. And, oh yeah, Schmidt was nowhere in sight. But taking 2nd place overall is not what thrills me but seeing Ed being rewarded for his work ethic and doing it with so much class. Before the race he asked Andrew if he could pray for him and I managed to capture that moment on camera. It’s a picture that speaks. It means that as much as Ed is passionate about running, he is as much or more passionate about Jesus and his relationship with his friends. I am more proud of that moment than the picture I snapped of him crossing the line.

That afternoon, it was off to the Fair to be wowed by two more of my kids. Our daughter, Emma, is remarkably talented – artistically, musically, dramatically and dance-wise. What’s more she’s a good golfer and a darn smart kid. She entered a variety of projects at this year’s fair – a painting, a tin man lawn ornament, jewelry, a tie-dyed shirt, an exhaustive poster about the anatomy of rabbits, a flower pot and flowers and a scrap book. She collected various ribbons – several blues, a few reds and a white and, in the case of her scrap book, a purple which spells G-R-A-N-D C-H-A-M-P-I-O-N. Emma is a very focused individual and I sincerely believe that whatever she puts her mind to she can do and do well. I not impressed with her because she is so talented. I’m impressed with her because though she is so talented she works diligently to develop her craft whatever that happens to be at the moment be it developing her golf swing or painting a picture or working on a term paper. But just as earnestly as she takes school or dance, she takes her friendship with Jesus, what one guy refers to as “the most important love relationship in our life.”

But as good as the day already had been it was about to get better. Charlie has been in the Adaptive Riding program of 4-H for the past four years. During “horse season” (May-June), Linda faithfully drives Charlie up to the fairgrounds every Wednesday night where he and his “pardner”, Lannie, work on horsemanship and riding skills. Lannie and his wife, Shirley, loan their steady mare of 14 years, Dakota, and the three of them – Charlie, Lannie and Dakota – make quite a team. But Saturday afternoon, here came Charlie sitting tall in the saddle riding Dakota without a lead rope. Lannie was at this side but Charlie was riding and, as he has been coached, smiling. He looked like he had been doing this all his life. Charlie’s autism aside, to me, his birth was so traumatic that in many ways he is like a snarled ball of string that slowly but surely as the years pass and people pour into his life and prayers are prayed over him, he unfolds and reveals the mystery that he is. Here’s a kid who when he was five years old hardly spoke a word and now is more fluent than he ever has been. He continues to grow and develop and seeing him ride atop Dakota so confidently while wearing his brand new shades was a poignant moment to me and I was reminded that he’s going to be alright. Maybe more so than when it was announced that he had won the Trail Walking trophy, the one that mattered to him more than any of the other awards they were handing out that day.

But we have another amazing kid to be proud of as well. Christine graduated from high school in 2007 and that summer spent five weeks in South Korea tutoring kindergarten through college-age kids in conversational English. Now, it’s the place she wants to get back to most of all. She works these days at a day care in Rice Lake saving what money she makes while at the same time, paying her own way. She has a wonderful eye for photography but one of her greatest strengths is her heart. Christine loves and believes in people. She never forgets a birthday and frequently buys little gifts for her friends and the other special people in her life. She has a way with babies and is a blessing to those who know her. In so many ways she is very Joan-like (referring to my mother): inordinately considerate, always encouraging and via her camera (which is always in her big bag she lugs around) ready to celebrate the moments of her life be they large or small.

And I must not forget Linda, my wife and life-companion. During the twenty-four years we have been married most certainly I have been loved more than I have loved. She’s cheerfully and willingly followed me whether we ended up living in an apartment, a trailer, a rented house or in the home we have owned since a week before Ed was born. But on this Saturday afternoon, I was reminded again of what a wonderful mother she is to her our children. There she was in the stands cheering for Charlie while Emma nestled in her lap, and in between performances, either joking with Ed or talking with Christine about trivia at the day care in a way that only mothers can multi-task.

So, I’ve taken nearly 1,200 words to state what most of you already know or could have told me much fewer: I am very fortunate to be surrounded by such good company. But it’s good to be reminded of these things because the response can only be gratitude for the small circle of love that you find yourself a part of.