Gunnysack Stomping

As a small boy I watched my grandfather shear his sheep. I can still see him grabbing a sheep and setting it down on its hind end with its four legs sticking straight out so he could shear its head, belly, legs, and back. He quickly bundled the wool and threw it up to someone standing on a tall wooden frame who put it into a large gunnysack approximately 6-8 feet deep. 

Sometimes I was allowed to climb to the top of the frame, jump into the gunnysack and stomp the wool down so more could be put in the bag. Because I was always so small, I realize now I probably wasn’t a very successful stomper. Even though my efforts couldn’t have made much of a difference, my grandfather and his helpers let me keep stomping and I felt like an important member of the sheep shearing team.

Think about our families today. We know our children are an important part of our family team, but do they? Perhaps they are still young, full of energy and willing to help, yet, like me in the gunnysack, they may not be very efficient. This is precisely the best time to make sure they feel valued as contributing members of the family team. 

As we help them understand the importance of their efforts and how much they are appreciated, we teach them about our values: hard work, family time, contributing to the family team are just a few of the lessons they can learn. 

As parents it is our responsibility to help our kids be happy, helpful, productive, responsible, respectful, and dependable as they move towards independence. This is what the family team is really trying to accomplish.

Stomping the wool was a small task I did just a few short days a year, yet being part of the team contributed to who I am. Do we have gunnysacks that our children can stomp?

Happy Failing Forward,

Calvert