Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/a-manner-of-speaking/5021596/
Jonah’s fourth birthday seemed like the perfect occasion to gift him my dad’s old saw �" the saw Dad remade for me many years ago.This gifting gave me the opportunity to talk to Jonah about my Dad, his work as a carpenter, his beloved truck Old Blue, his love of wood, and his joy in making things with his hands. But there was more to the present �" Roger and I created a toolbox fitted out with short-handled sturdy hammers, nails with large flat heads, short screw drivers, assorted odd nuts and bolts, tape measure, pencil and paper, gloves, and a few random surprises.
Jonah’s enthusiasm required immediate woodworking activity �" in just minutes he understood how to use these tools and was busy sawing his first cuts with enthusiasm, attention, success and pride. I was proud of our gift. Later, at the birthday party there were diverse reactions as Jonah showed off his new tools. Some people/parents thought we had lost our minds; others will be creating toolboxes for their own children.
The next morning Jonah and sister Schon, 5½, were in the basement, hammering and talking away. Jonah retrieved the paper and pencil from his toolkit and began to ...