Grandparents are an invaluable asset to kids. My son has learned so much from being around both of my parents. In this picture, my son was 7 and my dad was 80. I told my dad that I was taking my son on a road trip to go strawberry picking. The first thing out of my dad’s mouth was when are you going? I’m going too. I’ve never been strawberry picking.
My dad is a farmer. He has had cattle, wheat, alfalfa, feed, and grassland. We always had huge gardens when I was growing up. We never grew strawberries, although they do grow really well in this climate and soil. The summer before this one, we all went sand plum picking on our family’s farmland. I made a ridiculous amount of jelly and butter when we were finished. This particular year the strawberry crops were good and I decided we were picking strawberries. I wanted strawberries for pies, jam, and to top off homemade ice cream. For the record, be prepared to be on the ground if you go picking strawberries. Sand plums grow out in sandy areas where there are rattlesnakes. You don’t have to get on the ground because they are on bushes covered with thorns similar to rose bushes. Next year we are going peach picking. I prefer trees.
Anyway, we spent half a day picking strawberries. It took about a year to eat all of them between what I froze and canned. My dad and son both complained the entire time about having to sit on the ground or bend over. Neither one of them wanted to leave. They always have a great time together. My dad tells my son stories of when he grew up and how to plant crops and grow fruits and vegetables. My son learns all kinds of things when they’re together and he doesn’t even realize he is learning anything. He thinks he is just having fun with grandpa.
If you are blessed enough to still have your grandparents and parents, make sure your kids get to know them. They have invaluable lessons to teach us.
Middle of the Muddy Road 