Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.”

• Genesis 48:19

I am writing this before I get back from my trip, but it should appear after I have returned.  I went to Tennessee to babysit the grandchildren.  They were self-sufficient for the most part, but the eleven-year-old girl and eight-year-old boy (almost nine) do not get along.  I thought their Dad, my son, had one week of work at school before the children had to go to school, but it turned into nearly two full weeks.

Without any prompts from anyone else, the fifteen-year-old high school sophomore brought out a puzzle (pictured above).  I started telling him how jigsaw puzzles filled my summers growing up.  I was outside playing ball, swinging from vines in the trees, and other adventures when it was not blazing hot.  For the bad weather days, I almost always had a puzzle going.

I tried to pass that love of puzzles onto my sons.  When they were younger, they loved them, but our older son was a stinker.  He would steal a piece of the puzzle.  When we neared the completion of the puzzle, he had his stolen piece at the ready so that he could be the one that “finished” the puzzle.  That got to be so irritating that it nearly started fights, but …

My wife’s contributions to the puzzling in our boy’s youth were minimal.  She would try, but once she got frustrated, she would announce, “I am convinced that this piece goes right there.  I’m going to get some scissors and make sure it fits!”  This brought screams of “NO!” from the boys.  And it gave her a means of making a gracious exit from the room.

The puzzle that my grandson brushed the dust from was just for the two of us, and his Dad, my son, could not believe that he had come up with the idea.  It was a great bonding experience. I would pick up a piece and look at a particular spot. My grandson would say, “That is it!” Then he would change his mind. The shape was wrong. the color was wrong. All this before I placed the piece and it fit. Then, he said, “Never mind.” But then a little later, I would use a line from Rinderceller. “I tried it, but it fidn’t dit!” It caught on. He started saying it too. We had a lot of pieces that fidn’t dit. For you who do not understand spoonerisms, fidn’t dit means didn’t fit.

My days of doing puzzles are limited.  The board is placed atop the dog cages (only for when we are out on a trip and leave the dogs unattended).  Bending over the board hurts my back a great deal.  And the subtleties in a puzzle of a painting makes distinguishing the subtle color differences or styles of painting from the dogs in the puzzle and the leaves.  Even then, we have both been contributors.

And the puzzle was completed the next day after taking this picture. Little pieces started connecting and then it was a frenzy to finish. He got another puzzle before I left that was a lot harder. I did not help much, but I hope he will send a photo of the finished puzzle. He needs some “task completed” kudos to help him learn the joy of sticking to something and finishing it.

Of course, there are three grandchildren in the house.  The eleven-year-old is healed from her broken rib earlier this summer.  We are back at aggressive bear hugs.  In fact, she runs and jumps into my arms.  I think she is practicing some ballet moves. In a couple of years, she may have to be more gentle with that.

As for the eight-year-old, he has behaved a lot better than he did during the time he was in Pennsylvania.  Maybe his total rebellion for those ten days was his way of grieving.  He still barely listens, and he will be a handful for his third-grade teacher, but he will not be a swirling Dervish.  And at times, he is even pleasant to be around.  But then again, I am his Opa, and I like the kid in spite of himself.

But life goes on.  And I think this family will make it to the other side.  That is, with a lot of prayer.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.