36″x24″ mixed media

Recreation/ RE-CREATION Series: No• 1

My younger son loves to fish. When we plan family outings he is often looking at Google maps and figuring out if he can duck away from a sibling soccer game and go check out a local creek.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the word recreation: fun or play. If you break the word apart it is: re-creation.

A couple months ago my son planned a fishing tournament. He charge five bucks a kid, with the promise of cash prizes. He told us of these grand plans, and we chuckled thinking about what most teenagers do early Saturday morning.

To our surprise, kids were walking up our gravel drive as the sun was coming up. Before 7 AM on a Saturday! It was delightful to see kids with fishing poles on shoulders, and tackle boxes and Minnow buckets in hand. There were clearly some seasoned fisherman who came. School friends brought their friends, younger siblings, and cousins. My son didn’t limit it to experienced fishermen, he invited anybody who is interested. He provided ice water, Gatorade, and a mid-morning ice cream break. His planning was spectacular, and he showed up with a servant’s heart.

Every time I looked up, my son was helping someone untangle a line, helping someone learn a knot, or bait a hook. He was, truly, his best self. His recreation had recreated him!

Our extended family got involved and we had Grandad and a friend weigh every fish and handle the judging, and my husband and his mom made a raft of homemade biscuits and scrambled farm eggs for an awards brunch. Those kids’ recreation, re-created us all that day.

And so…I start another series Recreation/ re-creation!

If you are willing to share a story, I would love to hear about your recreation. Perhaps it can become a painting.