Fire Starter

Today, I asked Ethan to go out and do yet some MORE leaf raking with me. It was a really cold day, so I decided that I would start a fire in the fire pit so we could go warm up between trips to dump the leaves. I found a few decomposing logs and threw them in the pit. Ethan walks up and says, "What are you doing?" I say, "I am making a fire so we can stay warm." He replies, "You don't know the first thing about making a fire. Let me do it...." Then I sat back and watched.

I know it is a simple thing, starting a fire. Even starting a fire "the RIGHT way" might not be that big of a deal. But for me, watching him start a fire just like his dad has always done, it was surreal. I was so proud of him. I am so thankful for the kind of boy he is and I am in awe of how fast he is growing. Sometimes the future scares me, the dreaded "teenage years", but for just a little while today- I saw him as a kid growing up and I was excited.

The fire lasted long into the dark as we sat around it talking about nothing in particular. We watched the embers fly up and graze the trees above, the kids even lit long logs on fire and used them to make smoke letters. I didn't get too many leaves raked up, but it didn't matter. There is always tomorrow. I was happy to throw all the plans out the window and share this night with my kids.