“When I asked my 11-year-old son to help me unload dirt from our truck into his mom’s new garden boxes, his response was pretty typical.
“Ummmm… I’m busy right now,” he said.
He was playing Roblox on the family laptop, wearing sweatpants and an old T-shirt, lying on the sofa with his feet up on the coffee table.
“No, you’re not,” I said.
There was some complaining, moaning, and excuses, just like usual.
A few minutes later, we were standing next to a wheelbarrow shoveling dirt. He looked at me with a blank stare, his hoodie on, shoulders slumped, and asked, “Why do we have to do this?”
I thought about it for a second, and I admit, it was a good question. Neither of us were really into gardening. But my wife, Mel, loves it.
I thought for a moment, and then I said, “When you love someone, you serve them.”
I explained that I wanted him to grow up to be the kind of man who helps his family, friends, and community.
“This,” I said, pointing to the dirt, the garden boxes I built, the wheelbarrow, and the shovel, “is what love looks like.”
He didn’t really like my answer. I could tell by the way he slowly picked up his shovel again.
We finished unloading the dirt, and the next day, while I was at work, Mel sent me a picture. She had picked up another load of dirt, and before she could even start unloading it, Tristan began working on his own. When she asked him “Why,” he shrugged and said, “Because I love you.”
I was so proud of my son.
Credit: Linda Wilcox”