This Kitchen Table Devotions blog began initially as an effort to record all of my favorite recipes in one place for my sons – specifically my Mama Mac Meatball recipe, which is amazing if I do say so myself! (link below)
It was also a place to record many of the fun stories worth remembering while my sons were growing up, and years later continue to include those of my grandchildren.
My Grandmother, who we referred to as “Gram” when we were little, kept a very small notebook of the funny things we said growing up. Now and then she would pull it out and read them, causing everyone to laugh. In an effort to keep that tradition, I transferred over to my blog some of the hilarious stories I kept in a small blue notebook of life with Rory and Ian.
My love of writing began in 2nd grade in Mrs. Lang’s class at St. Robert Bellarmine School when we received the assignment to write a biography. My mother helped me write a biography about myself, written by my guardian angel describing our yearly family trips to Nova Scotia in the summers, my broken arm falling over a barn door in St. Clair, Michigan, and many other childhood memories. That story was so fun to write, that it sparked a love of story telling that I continue to enjoy today.
And that, my friends, is how this blog was birthed.
Twice this week I found myself in conversations about integrity and remembered a couple of stories about my sons. I just knew this one was worth adding to Kitchen Table Devotions, because it’s one that not only makes me laugh, but is an encouragement to me in this season of empty nesting and watching them raise their children.
The story goes like this…
Having grown up deeply rooted in our Scottish /Irish culture, and having spent many years taking Irish dance lessons, I made sure Rory and Ian got a taste of the same experience. They didn’t have to become career dancers, but I wanted them to taste the culture from which they came, and to know the same crowd of people I grew up around, and of COURSE, I wanted them to know how to dance a jig! So when we returned to Michigan and they were old enough, it was off to the Gaelic League in Detroit on Friday nights we went. There, they learned how to Ceili dance (Irish folk dance), they learned a little bit of Gaelic (my Dad would be so proud), and learned to play the tin whistle (sort of). And I always made sure they knew that when they wanted to be done – they could be done. So when Rory told me he no longer wanted to take step dance lessons, I didn’t argue with him. He could stop taking dance lessons, but he had to tell the teacher himself. And he did.
It was only a matter of weeks before Ian decided he too, was all finished step dancing. But – he had committed to a show, and in our family, when we make a commitment, we keep the word we’ve given, and we keep the commitment. We don’t cancel because something more fun becomes available, or something better comes along. We don’t just not go because we “don’t feel like it,” but we keep our word and we don’t let people down. So I reminded Ian that while yes, he is more than welcome to quit – he must first keep his promise to participate in the show he signed up to perform in. People were counting on him being there, and he was not going to leave them in a bind because he no longer wanted to take Irish dance lessons. A commitment was a commitment. Fulfill the commitment you made first, and then you can hang up your kilt. A good lesson in integrity, right?
Well, Ian kept his commitment, but not without showing me first how serious he was about quitting.
He didn’t argue with me – he was not an arguing kind of kiddo. But when the show began and it was his turn to dance a jig with his group of friends, I was standing right in front. The music began and away they went.
Underneath the boys’ kilts was supposed to be a standard pair of black shorts to keep things decent when they kicked up their legs, but suddenly just four bars or so into the music, the entire audience began laughing hysterically. Here was my son, the only one in the entire line of dancers wearing a bright red pair of Red Wings boxer shorts.
And the smirk on his face? Priceless.
When the dance was over, I asked Ian, “Why? Why did you do that?” His response? “Mum, I TOLD you I was done dancing!” Well, a fun story came out of that day, but the best part was that Ian kept his commitment despite not feeling like dancing any longer.
And that was Ian’s final jig – EVER – and the day he hung up his kilt once and for all.
Now as an empty nester I have the joy of watching his integrity from a different perspective in an all new season of life as the faithful husband and father of three very little Littles. And I don’t worry at all about him teaching integrity to his sons, because I know he is modeling it for them. Those seemingly small lessons we teach our children when they are young that often leave us with a lifetime’s worth of laughs, are never, ever wasted.
Integrity is everything. Keeping your word and keeping your commitments – even the seemingly small ones, displays your character to all who are watching, even if they see your boxer shorts in the process 😉
Here’s a link to the best meatballs ever…
“For we are taking great care to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.”
2 Corinthians 8:21
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