“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
— Proverbs 22:6
The Spring Youth Fair is a tonic for the soul and an inspirational path to a better future.
My family and I took an enjoyable stroll through the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds last weekend and were thoroughly delighted by all the energetic children and their accomplishments.
From horses and rabbits to artwork and pastries, the Spring Youth Fair is a great place for kids to begin growing into competent, hardworking, creative and well-supported young men and women.
What they begin doing there will help create a generation of adults that will do us proud, carrying forward the best of what it has always meant to be from Lewis County.
We visited the sheep barn and saw all of this in action.
The place was abuzz. Children and animals everywhere, with the children generally in control of the situation. Adults were aiding, but the kids knew what they had to do and they were doing it.
They loved showing their sheep, talking to passers-by about their animals, and letting their friends get into the action.
Even little guys, maybe 4 or 5 years old, were busy pushing brooms to keep the cement floor clean. I hopped out of their way as they plowed through on their appointed rounds. The best of Old Lewis County was alive and well in their determined, hardworking faces.
A few moments later, two of my wife’s students were parading their sheep around the yard behind the Blue Barn for us when one of their classmates arrived. His eyes were as big as saucers and his smile seemed to extend beyond the bounds of his face when they let him help lead the sheep.
It’s a remarkable thing to see 7- and 8-year-olds being thoughtful, generous leaders, inviting their peers into a bigger world.
It’s a sign of good things to come as we give our children responsibilities and help them achieve them. Their growth will be rapid and significant — if we can continue doing this.
The Spring Youth Fair (and the upcoming Southwest Washington Fair as well) are great ways to give our kids those outlets.
And it’s not just animals. There are countless ways for kids to get involved. We loved seeing the cakes, cookies and pies on display a few buildings down the Midway. There are art displays and so much more.
I’d love to see every single child in Lewis County get involved in the Spring Youth Fair next year. It’s easier than you’d think. Visit www.springyouthfair.org to see ways that your kid can be part of it. It’s a great way to get them on a path toward the kind of confident competence that is the antidote for the anxious aimlessness that is plaguing today’s youth.
Say thank you to a mother
I am immeasurably blessed to have my mother around and a vibrant part of our family’s life. As I’ve grown older (and on a good day, a bit wiser), I’ve come to an ever-growing appreciation for her joyful energy, her warm love for her vast network of neighbors and friends, her savvy and get’r done spirit, and most of all her love and kindness.
The same and more is true for the wife of my youth and the mother of my children, who is God’s greatest blessing in my life. She is gentle and caring, fun and thoughtful, sweet and so good to us.
I hope to show them proper appreciation on this Mother’s Day weekend, and I encourage you to do the same. Perhaps your mom is gone, or perhaps after giving you life she didn’t give you warmth. Perhaps this is a hard day or a bittersweet one.
I encourage all of us to reach out to a mother — your own or perhaps borrow one that you admire. Give her a call (a text is OK but your voice will be so much more meaningful to her). Tell her hello and thank you. Tell her you love her and that she brightens your life every time you think of her.
Moms gave us life. This weekend we can give them love. It’s never going to equal the gifts they gave us, but when it’s from the heart, it’ll mean the world to them.
Dad Joke of the Week
Ravens don’t have thumbs, so they can’t tie their shoes. That’s why they use vel-crow.
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Brian Mittge is a community enthusiast who has written for The Chronicle since 2000 as a reporter, editor and columnist. He can be reached at brianmittge@hotmail.com.
