Oak Tree in an Acorn: Cox Elementary Field Day

Monday, June 1, 2009

Cox Elementary Field Day

If you went to public school, do you remember as the school year drew to a close having a Track and Field Day? You might remember the water balloon tosses, relay races, or picnic on the playground. Well, Olivia participated in her first elementary school field day in May. There were water balloon tosses, relay races, and a picnic outside, as well as dancing, tug-of-war (for the older grades), and even a water slide. The kids had a blast!

Eve and I volunteered at the balloon release event, where the kids released balloons (earth-friendly ones)

with messages of hope inside. I was so thankful for being stationed at this event because I figured Eve wouldn't want to get too involved (she would have been upset if we were stationed at the water slide and she wouldn't be allowed to participate) as long as she got to hold a non-helium balloon. Silly me! She cried each time a class released their balloons and the balloons floated into the sky. She wanted them to come back down and felt they were lost forever. Finally, I told her that the balloons were a present to Jesus, and that seemed to satisfy her a bit, but unfortunately I didn't think of this until there were only two more classes to go.

Olivia had so much fun and didn't want the day to end. She told me her favorite event was the water slide.

I was able to watch her do a couple of the events next to where we were stationed, and she had the biggest grin on her face. It's so lovely to see her smile at school.

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Why the title, "Oak Tree in an Acorn"?

Well, really it's all about perspective when raising the girls. It helps me to think about the grand scheme of parenting and remember that what we do now affects how our little acorns will grow. Like an oak tree, we want them to be strong in their words and deeds, be able to withstand life's storms, set and reach their goals, and be people that others can lean on and trust.

We have an oak tree planted in our yard that came from an acorn my dad planted in a pot. This acorn came from a huge oak tree that was planted in the backyard of my dad's childhood home. My dad's father also planted this tree from an acorn he found on his hunting lease in the early 1960's. Our tree is thus a family heirloom, a "family tree".

It was the year of Olivia's birth when we planted our little sapling. It looked so very sad that winter with no leaves; it was, basically, like a stick rooted in the ground. Five years later, though, it stands 9 feet tall, and we continue to nurture it and watch it grow. We hope one year it will produce acorns of its own, and we can continue to pass on this family heirloom. We hope to remember it's example of how each acorn has the potential to be an oak tree, and how our acorns, Olivia and Genevieve, will one day, with help from God, become mighty oak trees themselves.