Fantasies Come True!

We’re a little late getting off the ground today, but the hope is we can get the lead out eventually. Enjoy Friday Letter #103!

Fantasies come true

In the last few weeks, fantasies have come true for me. They were significant fantasies, dreams, longings, and hopes and they became realities.

A Dad’s Fantasy #1

For many years, while I was mowing or pulling weeds or raking leaves out at the apartment complexes, I’d think to myself, “I wish Bender could be here with us.”

If you keep up with the Friday Letter, you know that our son Ben has recently retired from the U.S. Navy after more than 20 years of service.

One of the benefits of this change in Ben’s life is that he has had a lot more time to use as he pleases, these days.

It meant he was able to visit us here in Greeley on three occasions in the past few weeks.

One day I asked Ben if he would like to help me load up the landscaping equipment and go out to the apartment complexes where we are responsible for lawn care.

He cheerfully did just exactly that. I was a delighted old Dad when I discovered that the young man required no direction from me.

Ben simply watched what I was doing, and did the things I wasn’t doing. He mowed, he trimmed, he pulled weeds, he emptied trash, he took care of business efficiently.

It shouldn’t have surprised me. I soon recalled that the last time I did team physical labor with Ben was more than 20 years ago – long before good work habits were trained into him by the military, before he matured, before he realized “It won’t get done if I don’t do it.”

How delightful. The amount of time we spent doing that strenuous physical labor was easily less than half the time it would have taken me had I done it myself.

When we finished for the day, we stood back and surveyed the fruits of our labor. There was a great deal of gratification in it. A hard job, well done.

A father-and-son team effort. A dream come true. We went and had a Big Mac or two just to celebrate.

A Dad’s fantasy #2

In 1975, I bought the basic stereo equipment that we use in our home to this day.

A few months ago, our grandson Stephen contributed his electronics knowledge over the telephone to help us select a new stereo receiver and turntable. It was time.

Stephen knows his stuff, and he knows his Grampa, because the equipment we ended up with is premium, quite satisfactory, suited well to our needs.

However, the fine tune on it was up to me and I wasn’t getting it figured out. I’d play with it to the point of frustration, and I’d grouse under my breath, “I wish that Bender would come over here and help with this.”

Guess what. When this summer’s visits began, Ben made a beeline for the stereo. He has a more thorough knowledge of our musical collection than do I, and he has lived with that stereo system since he was seven years old.

He was the logical tuner, and he did his duty – without direction, without complaint, without fail.

He’s got some parts on order (I blew out a speaker toying with my new high-powered receiver) and the plan is, he’ll help with that when he returns in July.

In the meantime, the stereo sounds just fine, and we’ve returned to the pattern of listening to music evenings.

Another fantasy come true!

Anniversary gift

Wednesday, when I thought Ben was over at the house packing up to go back to Washington, instead he was hard at work again, doing a task on our behalf.

When I got home, I knew something was different, but it took me a few seconds to notice that a new kitchen sink fixture had been installed.

“I got tired of that constant water drip,” he explained. “Consider it a gift from me for your anniversary.” Nice. Generous. Thoughtful. Thank you, Ben.

A real miracle

The great and grand miracle in all this is not, however, something as mundane as mowing lawns or fixing stereo equipment or replacing kitchen fixtures.

The miracle is not even in the fact that my fantasies came true.

The miracle is that I have a mutually kind and loving relationship with my son.

I didn’t ever dare to believe it was possible. It wasn’t possible for me and my Dad. My relationship with him was, simply, horrid. So in my naïve way, I presumed adult happiness couldn’t happen with me and my grown son Ben.

I was wrong. By the grace of God, and by our mutual benevolent and patient efforts, it exists.

It’s truly a miracle, and I’m truly thankful for it. Happy Father’s Day to me!

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Word of the week: Epiclesis.

In most Christian churches, the epiclesis (also spelled “epiklesis,” since it is a transliterated Greek word) is that part of the prayer of consecration of the Eucharistic elements (bread and wine) by which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit.

Some Eastern Orthodox theologians hold that the epiclesis is essential to the Eucharist, since the entire mystery is based on the action of the Holy Spirit.

A similar invocation of the Holy Spirit by a priest in some other high church sacraments, such as matrimony, is also called an epiclesis. The Eastern Orthodox Church holds that such an epiclesis is necessary for the validity of the sacrament of marriage; the Roman Catholic Church holds that it is not, since for them the bride and groom are the ministers of that sacrament.

Next week’s word: Epicureanism.

Gripes? Complaints? Whines? Comments? Adoration? Puppy love? Reciprocal rant? Feel free to express yourself in the comments below!