By Simon Ambit
My family and I recently met up with some close friends and spent a two-night camping trip in the San Rafael Swell area. The weather was perfect, the crowds small and the list of options were nearly endless. The area where we camped had plenty of boulders for the kids to climb on and explore. There was sand for the toddlers to play in and plenty of room for a makeshift baseball field and volleyball court.
Early in the evening, following a complete spectrum of the day’s entertainment, I found the kids constructing a tower of piled up sandstone slabs that they had gathered among the courtyard of scattered boulders. As the children constructed their creation, there were several failed attempts. As efforts continued, they found that by working together to have someone steady to the tower while another added the next top layer, communicating with one another and by stacking small pebbles in the voids of the larger rocks, they were able to diminish weak points and get the tower to increased heights. They would step back take a proud gaze at their column of accomplishment and talk about how to improve upon it.
As I watched them and helped them, I found that the simplest times in life can bring such fun when spent in the right way with the right people. Here we were, in the middle of the desert stacking rocks, having a wonderful time! There was nothing electronic nor modern age about it, no costs or fees, no deadlines or schedules. It was just a group of good friends having a great time.
I am grateful for family and friends who can stand by us in fun and fear, in joy and sadness. Who are there when things are rough and there when things are smooth. I am thankful for the abundant amount of people in our area who steady us when life places another load on top of us. Who can take a step back and see where we need help; place a small strengthening pebble among the weaknesses of our lives.
In an effort to grow future generations of these good people, may we strive to have greater harmony in our families and homes, may we exercise our faith and spend our time doing those things that matter the most and may we cherish and share thanks for the gift of family and true friendship.
“Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community” – Anthony J. D’Angelo