Once or twice a week climbing a tree seeking out the unique glare of a car’s headlights, became an unspoken routine for a 10 year old boy.  The father came home late after drinking with his work buddies. His son understood the routine and often grew anxious waiting for his dad to come home.  Anticipating dad’s arrival, this boy angled his way 15 feet up a maple tree.  He came to know the glare of the headlights marking that dad was just down the block. Scurrying down the tree, the boy ran into the house before dad parked.  Dad’s focus after entering the door of the home was to eat dinner, then relax on the couch drinking a beer while watching TV.

What did the father’s son want to know from his father?  What follows is a different response from the father,(though it didn’t happen), reflecting what this young boy wanted to experience and know.

When dad walked though the door, he looked at his son, picked him up with an embrace of a tender hug.  The words that followed, “It is so good to see you my son.  I saw you come down out of the tree, were you looking for me to come home?  Take me out to the tree I want you to show me how you climb.” As the father watched his son, he remarked. “You as such a good climber, can I climb the tree and join you?”  A wide grin of surprise appeared on the boy’s face while saying “yes.” When dad reached where his boy was, loving words come forth, “Son, it is so good to be up here with you, I love you so much, I am so glad  you are my son.”  With a tender smile this boy responded, “Dad I love you too.”

Contrast what happened, how disappointment is shaped. What we long to experience matters. This is reflected in the story of what the boy wanted to know. To often the good that matters to us is forgotten or hidden when confronted face to face with disappointment.  There will be several stories to follow in the format of “What happened.”  What happened is a story of what took place.  The story that follows, is “What did I want to experience that didn’t happen.”