Drumsticks

The Drumstick ice cream treat was invented in 1928. Though there is some speculation that ingenuitive fairground vendors came up with the idea years earlier.

The concept is simple; a waffle cone, filled with vanilla ice cream, dipped in chocolate and topped with peanuts. A simple and straightforward treat that has delighted people for nearly 100 years.

Some people love the full comforting flavor of the waffle cone, some are obsessed with the sweet vanilla cream, and for some people, it just wouldn’t be right without the peanuts. For me, it is the small chunk of solid chocolate at the base of the cone.

That is the best

We didn’t really do Drumsticks much when I was a kid. I loved ice cream sandwiches and orange push-ups. My siblings each had their own various favorites, which I honestly do not recall as I was preoccupied with my own at the time, but I don’t seem to remember any Drumsticks.

My kids, however, love them.

That is how I found myself standing on the back porch indulging in an ice cream cone and watching my kids eat, laugh, and chat with their cousin.

It is rare that I allow myself to eat something so sweet and so my daughter took notice of me standing on the porch behind them. Our eyes met and held each other for a few moments, and we smiled. She took another bite of her cone and winked at me.

At seven she has not completely mastered the wink and it was one of those slower than usual and very deliberate ones that little kids do. I grinned and winked back.

Those precious few moments made my day.

Tv commercials attempting to evoke fond memories show people laughing and moving in slow motion as golden sunlight fills the screen around closeups of faces and indistinct bokeh all bathed in sepia tones.

That is exactly how that memory will exist for the rest of my life in my own mind.

I purchased the treats as something special for the kids. As I went to put the box away, I looked at the few remaining cones and said, “why not?”

After deciding to partake I briefly considered whether to eat the cone inside for some peace and quiet or to join my kids outside.

I chose to be present in the moment and that choice made all the difference.

Psalm 144:4 says, “Man is like a breath, his days are like a passing shadow.” (Psalm 144:4 ESV Bible Gateway)

In other words, life is short, and every moment precious and loaded with potential.

There is a great deal of talk in parenting circles about the importance of quality versus quantity of time spent with your children. While I believe it is important to create high-quality time together intentionally, this should not be an either-or situation.

Our children need us to be present with them in the moment. They need us to engage with them in the big, scary, simple, silly, and mundane moments. You don’t have to have every second planned out, or engineer talking points for every moment, just be present, and your family will notice.

Yes, parents are people too and have their own needs. That is why it is so important for you to take care of yourself when you can. You cannot stay present and engaged if you constantly run on empty. Be intentional about choosing a time that doesn’t take away from your family and is sufficient to take care of yourself.

If you need counseling then get it, if you need meds then take them, and if you need some more sleep then take a nap. There will always be chores to do, things to clean and work to catch up on. The “Honey Do” list will never be “Honey, done.”

Do not run yourself ragged and spent worrying about things with no real significance.

Ten years from now I will remember a special moment of love and connection shared with my daughter on a warm sunny day. It has only been a couple of days and I couldn’t tell you if all the dishes were done or not.

People matter, relationships matter, and the state of your To-do list, ultimately, does not.

Drumsticks are a great treat, simple, no prep needed, and because it is ice cream people tend to slow down and enjoy them and each other.

I hope that your summer is going great, and I hope you take the time to be present in the moment and enjoy the people in your life while you still have them around you.

God bless.

Autumnal Tree

“I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.” – Joyce Kilmer

The vibrant oranges, reds, and golds made the sparse green foliage explode in contrast. The red canyon walls had stretched high around Benson for the last hour of the hike. He had begun to despair of seeing anything besides red earth and stone until he saw the forest ahead. Finding a forest here had taken him completely off guard.

Adam Benson, or Benson as the guys called him, stood in the shadow of one canyon wall trying to make sense of what he saw. It was not an overly hot day, he generally saved hikes in this desert for late in the year for that reason. Still, the shade felt good. Benson had been hiking in the red rock around his hometown of Sedona many times before, but this was the first time he had encountered this canyon.

He checked his map again. The collection of lines on the topographical map did not seem to indicate the existence of a canyon like this in the area. The young man had not been hiking in this area since enlisting several years back but when he took leave to come to his parent’s 50^th anniversary he knew he would have to make time for a day hike. He had packed his ruck with the gear and supplies he would need, including the map and compass he had been trying to reconcile with his surroundings.

It was near mid-day, and he could see the walls of the canyon closing off several hundred feet into the thick forest of deciduous trees. Deciduous! Benson shook his head in wonder. Evergreens grew around these parts not thick stands of oaks, maples, and, well, he wasn’t sure what some of the large, gnarled ones were. He wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it himself.  

He replaced the map in his pocket and glanced at the sky, “I should have enough time to reach the far side and make it back before dark.” He felt awkward having broken the silence of this place, even if it was just muttering to himself. He shifted the bag on his back to sit more comfortably and started into the trees.

Lush ferns stretched wide fronds between squat bushes of autumnal color that he could only guess at identifying. The trees all seemed large, some straight and some bent, but all seemed full and strong. Come to think of it, he couldn’t see any new growth. Every plant that he inspected appeared to be mature and full of life.

A shiver ran down his spine. He could not decide if this place felt strange, or if he was allowing fancy to run away with him. It felt… old. No, ancient would be a better term. A tingle ran wild across his skin, and he was suddenly hyperaware. However, he also felt strangely comfortable and refreshed, like he hadn’t just spent half a day hiking through a desert.

Benson was able to follow a fairly clear path through the middle of the strange autumnal forest. For all of its meandering twists and turns, it seemed a determined path to… something. He realized at some point that he seemed to have lost track of time entirely. He could not have said whether the walk had taken him minutes or hours when he finally emerged into a small opening in the canopy.

A gigantic tree stood at the center of a small break in the trees. It was bent and gnarled. It seemed to have a sparsely scattered collection of branches sitting right on top of the massive trunk. The deeply fissured bark shone silver in the sunlight and the patterns in the bark made him think of weathered faces. Two massive swirls in the tree’s exterior gave the appearance of a door and window. Benson was sure the formations were a mix between knot and burl, but he could not shake the feeling that he was staring at an incredibly ancient dwelling.

When he could bring his eyes away from the strange tree, Benson noticed a small brook bubbling freely nearby. The water seemed pure and untouched by the surrounding sediments or any other form of pollution. It was cool to the touch and even through his water filter, it was amazingly refreshing.

Glancing at the sky, Benson decided he had enough time to sit for just a moment and enjoy the wonder of this hidden forest. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When the young man opened his eyes again the sky was dark and blanketed by stars. Benson sat up with a jerk. He had just closed them for a moment. Surely, he had not fallen asleep, had he?

A small thread of panic wound its way through him. He had not come prepared for an overnight stay and had told his parents he would be back that evening. He jumped to his feet and finally took in the forest around him. Soft glowing lights seemed to float in little balls throughout the undergrowth. They bobbed slowly in place, just outside of his ability to see clearly.

Yet, they provided enough light to see the path ahead. Benson started back the way he had come. It took several steps for him to notice that no matter how far he walked the small globes of light always seemed to float indistinctly ahead. He shook his head, it seemed foggy somehow.

The path seemed straighter than he remembered, and it was difficult to tell the direction he was going or how time passed in the eerily lit night. For Benson, it felt like he walked a quarter of the distance back out and saw a sharp bend in the canyon walls ahead. The next few steps put him back on red rock and out from under the trees. He shook his head again, this looked like where he entered the cavern, but that was impossible.

He cautiously picked his way around the bend in the canyon and stopped dead in his tracks. In the distance, he could see the full moon reflecting off the hood of his truck. It simply was not possible. He had walked half the day to get to that strange forest in the canyon, and at least an hour before he saw the canyon in the first place.

He turned to look back at the high canyon walls and nearly sat down. Flat hard-baked earth and rock stretched out all around him. Benson put his hand to his head and felt something in his palm. A large round acorn rested in his palm.

He stumbled his way back to his truck. How would he ever tell anyone about this?