There is something intrinsically fatherly, for me, about splitting wood. I’m talking about grabbing an ax, a sledge hammer, a steel wedge and whacking away at a cut section of log! (Can you feel the testosterone?). I learned to split wood from my dad when I was about 12 years old. It was a matter of necessity. We had a fireplace and if it was to be enjoyed by the whole family, the wood had to come from somewhere. It was fun for me to go into a clump of trees with him and cut down a couple of trees, then ride home with my dad and at the end of the summer, split the wood. I don’t think dad meant it as any great learning or bonding experience, but I got a lot more than just neat sections of logs for my reward. Splitting wood is very fatherly to me because of those times when my dad and I shared a common goal.
There are several dynamics that come in to play here. Splitting wood gave my dad and I the chance to connect on different levels. Beside achieving a common goal, we talked about school, his job, my girlfriends, his childhood (He had to get up every morning, as a boy, and stoke the fire up in the stove plus fetch more wood)…life in general! I also learned some basic things like safety with the tools or the quickest route to the hospital (I actually caught the ax in the head once! MY FAULT!). I look back on those times with my dad and wonder if he had the same feelings about our experiences, or was he just doing a job that needed to be done? Well, now that my own son is almost 12 (he’s named after my dad) and we both enjoy splitting wood together…I think I have my answer. I get a great deal of pleasure watching and helping my son split wood for our fireplace. We talk and I teach him the things my father taught me about the wood, my childhood, his grandpa….LIFE! If you have the opportunity, I urge you to try this simple thing with your son. The rewards you get will be much bigger than a pile of nicely split and stacked wood.
Image By: Peter Huys, stock.xchng
Mike Austin is the host of THE FATHER LIFE podcast and the father of six children, four of which were adopted from Poland. Mike & his wife Lisa are also the owners of a radio production company creating custom radio jingles and commercials for advertisers. If you would like to contact Mike about the “Radio Dad” daily feature or radio commercials / jingles, you can e-mail him at mike@radiodad.com.
I love how you connect splitting wood with family memories. It reminds me of the fun I have organizing my own projects, like checking out My Sticker Room Walkthroughs Guide for creative ideas. Thanks for sharing!
J’ai vraiment apprécié la lecture de cet article. La discussion sur la concentration et le timing m’a immédiatement rappelé pourquoi les jeux de plateforme rythmiques restent si populaires en ligne. Un excellent exemple est Geometry Dash, où la fluidité des commandes, la rapidité des réflexes et la progression à travers les niveaux maintiennent les joueurs pleinement captivés tout au long de l’expérience de jeu.