I love the distant clickety clack of the ole freight train as it slices through the early morning mist like a butter knife. Like clockwork, the train carrying coal, lumber and grains from Memphis to Jackson and all points in between, chugs near my house in the early morning hours, often lulling me to sleep after a restless night. The train’s whistle as it passes assures me that it is 4 am in our sleepy little town of Hernando, MS. To me, these early pre-dawn hours are the loneliest hours of all – not quite night time but not day time either.
On this morning, I go ahead and get up, an hour and a half before my old Westclock alarm clock tells me it is time to rise. In just a couple of hours, I will wish my son good luck on his first day of college, thus beginning a new season in our lives. Seems like just yesterday I was wishing he would sleep through the night.
Drew seems to be riding the train of change very well, going from a small Christian school where he spent the last 12 years to the wide open road of the college bound. But, I seem to be stuck on the little red caboose of his childhood.
For the past few weeks, I lay awake at night, my mind like a View Master, clicking through the stages of Drew’s growing up years. Vivid, colorful images of Barney, Mr. Potato Head, Veggie Tales, and Garfield click through my dreams as snippets of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and “You Are My Sunshine” flitter through my head. Time has sped by so quickly, I can almost hear it as it whistles past by ears - the present becoming the past right before my eyes. From diapers to jeans and Muppet CD’s to iTunes, the years of Drew’s childhood have raced by just like the clickey clack of that old freight train. Most of the memories are so sweet, they bring tears to my eyes with their richness. Others are so funny, the thoughts make me laugh out loud.
In 1995 when Drew was two years old, one of our big projects was learning to go potty. His babysitter, Mimi, who was our expert on everything dealing with rearing well-adjusted children, had the wonderful idea of putting Cheerios into the potty and letting him “shoot” the cereal with his “water gun.” Worked like a charm – on the No. 1 part of pottying. Going No. 2 was a different story. My busy little bee refused to do anything except tinkle in potty. He would sit on the potty, playing with this cars, singing songs, playing with his toes - while I sat beside him on the bathtub reading “Raising the Strong Willed Child” by Dr. James Dobson. Mimi assured us that he would come around and told us not to worry about it. Emma Stewart – better known to the kids she kept as “Mimi” – was my Dr. Spock, Heidi Murkoff and Dr. Sears all rolled into one. I often say that all the good things about Drew came from her.
The other big project in our lives during that time was our plans to build a larger home. We were living in about 1200 sq. ft. of toy box. Drew’s stuff was everywhere and we had outgrown our little house. The Home Depot had just come to our area, and we spent most Saturdays walking up and down the aisles of the bog box store looking for new home ideas. The new store was awesome in its displays of kitchen cabinets, faucets, lighting and countertops. They set up room vignettes – complete kitchens and bathrooms to show the customer exactly what their room could look like with the materials displayed. Excellent marketing idea. We spent a lot of time going from “room” to “room” in the store.
One Saturday night, we were looking at the beautiful kitchen displays – rich maple cabinets, cool granite countertops, warm hardwood floors. We were imaging ourselves eating breakfast at the breakfast bar and cooking gourmet meals on the state-of-the-art Viking stove. Enamored with all the modern conveniences, I absentmindedly looked down and realized that Drew was no longer standing beside me. I saw that my budget-minded husband was talking to the salesman and he did not have Drew. All thoughts of the fancy appliances vanished as I started calling for Drew and running from “kitchen” to “kitchen” looking for my child.
In tears, I walked from aisle to aisle calling his name. Finally, I spotted a little pair blue jean overalls lying on these steps leading up to a display. The luxurious bathroom display was so rich in detail; it had been built on a raised platform and included a Jacuzzi brand tub. The tub was beautifully filled with scented water; red rose petals whirling around the jets. There was a tiled double shower, double vanity with makeup lighting and marble countertops. Right in the center of the spa bath display was a magnificent Kohler-brand toilet.
And, perched right on top of the glorious pot was my two year old son, his Pull-ups dangling down around his ankles and his red Keds hanging off his little feet.
“Mommy, I go potty,” he beamed.
I rushed up the steps to get him off the commode. My beautiful and smart child had, in fact, gone potty. No. 2. He certainly brought the concept of try-before-you-buy to a whole new level.
There was lovely, scented water in the whirlpool tub, but there was not a drop in the toilet.
I very calmly got him off the commode and took him into the bathroom to clean him up while my husband tried to figure out how to clean up the other mess.
I was embarrassed, mortified and a just little angry that my child had decided to learn the hardest part of potty training in the middle of a busy store. But, Drew was excited and proud that he had finally done what we had been trying to get him to do for weeks. How could I let him know that what he had done was very good but where he had done it was not so good?
Then I remembered a favorite Bible verse, Ecclesiastes 3:1 - “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens.”
I praised my son for the progress he had made in his potty training and I made sure he understood that there is a time and place for everything we do in our lives.
I have thought of that verse so very often in my life. Drew’s childhood – those were the Summer moments of my life. Moments of excitement and fun in our ever changing, busy lives. We faced the awesome challenge of providing a solid, loving, Christian foundation for our child and we watched him grow into the outstanding young man that he is. That was a golden season in my life.
As I lay awake this morning, thinking of sending my child to college, I know that God sent me this verse once again this morning. Only this time, I think of King Solomon’s words as it applies to Drew’s season – the Spring Season. His is a season of new beginnings, of finding his own way and becoming his own person.
And, I think of my own season – the Season of Autumn, with still so very much to do and so much purpose before winter. And, I am so very grateful that Drew is my bountiful harvest.
