Hole in the Ground

My oldest daughter turned 20 this week. If parenting were military service, I could retire with full benefits right now. But as you know, there isn't retirement from parenting. Your role gets smaller over the years, but you're always a parent. I take comfort in that, because I'm not ready to stop anyway. We were sitting around the table reminiscing with our three daughters, and I noticed that the stories they remember the most are the stories of the games we made up together. There was "Monkeyboy," a game where I looped my shirt over my head and scooted around the house like a friendly monkey. Then I would slip out of the room and pop in from another door, dressed normally. The girls would crowd around saying that Monkeyboy had been there. I always acted like I didn't believe them. Everyone in the house had seen Monkeyboy except me, and I always acted like they were crazy. This is what they talk about. This is what they remember. The things you did together that were unique and only for your family to understand. The funny little games you played in the car. Things like that. Billy Coffey is on his way to building some GREAT father memories. He's currently telling the story about a mysterious hole that has appeared in the ground in his backyard. He and his children are completely caught up in the mystery. This is fathering at its best!

I'm leaning against a shovel in the backyard, waiting. My two children are crouched in front of me. Serious looks adorn their normally jovial faces. Which is appropriate, given that this is a serious situation. For in front of us is the object of a week's worth of contemplation, suspense, and puzzlement. A hole. Some background: the hole appeared suddenly last Saturday, midway between the oak tree and the creek. The kids took turns trying to figure out exactly what sort of hole it was. Too small for gophers, said my son. And too big for ants, said my daughter. I was brought in for a consultation, but my vote for field mice was quickly shot down. Too boring, they said....READ MORE.