One of my earliest distinct memories of my father is "helping" in small carpentry jobs around the house. I'm not sure I was much help, but even at my age of 58, it is something I can see in my mind and feel in my heart as if I were still 5. I remember his instructions on how to hold a hammer and how to hold a nail so as to keep from hammering my thumbs.

I am sorry that for many young men and women this sort of thing is becoming a thing of the past. Instead, many fathers feel they are spending quality time with their children by sharing in the latest shooter video/computer games, blowing up aliens or people, and providing approval for the child's lowest instincts and worst virtual behavior.

John Grossbohlin sent pictures of his sons Jesse and Joshua helping to scribe sleepers while building an addition to their home. While most children aren't entrusted with real work and never understand their full potential as valuable contributors to the welfare and success of the family, John and his sons are clearly operating on a more powerful wavelength. Just as I remember and treasure the time spent learning in the company of my father, I know that Jesse and Joshua will hold these times dear.

Lots of great things happen when the hands and brain work together. We get smarter and think more clearly when the hands are there to help. Greatest by far is when the heart is engaged. The guidance of a loving father in making things from wood is a treasure. To have children to share your interest in woodworking is a treasure, too. Thank you for the photos, John.