If you get the chance to fish, fish

​It was late in the day yesterday. The sun had taken its toll on me. The sun, however, doesn't take the kind of toll on young boys that it takes on old men.

And one of my young boys wanted to go fishing.

I initially tried to convince Ian that tomorrow might be a better day. We wouldn't be as tired. We'd have more time to get ourselves together.

Ian did what Ian always does, he accepted it and said he understood if everyone else wasn't up for it. I know he meant that. I also know inside he was disappointed. The boy loves his fishing.

A friend recently told me the heartbreaking story of losing a son many years ago when he was a teen. I could tell how heavily it weighs on her even to this day. Does losing a child ever stop weighing on you even to this day?

I wondered what she would give for one more chance to fish.

I told Ian let's go. Let's go see if we can catch some fish. (Elliott, on the other hand, said I'm good here in the AC. Maybe the sun does take a toll on young boys after all 😊).

The fishing was slow. The catching was none. But I watched as Ian switched out baits and lures and was completely happy to be in the middle of the process even if the outcomes weren't great.

I am reminded of that a lot lately. It's the process of parenting that is meaningful. Sometimes the outcomes don't look like we thought they would, but we can always sink ourselves into the process.

At least as long as we have that chance to sink in.

Finally convinced the fish weren't into being caught today, we walked back to the car. Ian started telling me about this 'first boat' he and a buddy are dreaming of buying when they turn sixteen. Walking and listening to Ian talk about this, I felt like I'd just landed a blue marlin.

I've always said I have two goals as a dad when it comes to my influence on my sons.

One, I want my boys to come to know and love the God I know and love. There is no better place to come to know and love God than on the edge of a dock looking over some of the most majestic waterway in America.

Two, I want my boys to be able to come to me with their hopes and fears and disappointments and dreams. All of it.

Yesterday, when Ian was rattling on and on about his future boat and what it would look like and all the work he was willing to do to be able to afford it, I was hearing passion.

I was hearing dreams.

I was reminded, if you get the chance to sit it out or fish - fish. Maybe you won't catch anything, but maybe you'll hear dreams you've spent a lot of your dad life longing to hear.

I don't know if Ian's dream will come true. But yesterday a big one came true for me.

And that's a fish story well worth telling.