What is it that is so prized and worth battling for with all their might? Is it the television remote, the iPad, or the last piece of chocolate cake? No, in our home, it is our floor heating vents.
Living in a house, where the original rooms were built before Minnesota became a state and another portion was constructed before the Titanic sank, warm air on a cold winter morning can be as hard to come by as water in the desert. And when the heat begins to slowly rise from the wood burning stove below, the children are quickly drawn to the vents scrambling for their warm place.
Though there are several vents on each level of our house, there are two that are coveted as if they were the best seats at a sporting event. Their favorites are chosen because they are located away from the drafty windows and thin plaster exterior walls, which provide only a few inches of protection from the cold winds outside.
I remember, as a child, racing downstairs to claim the best seat for Saturday morning cartoons. Our children do the same during weekends; but on school mornings, it is a race to the vents to see who gets the warmest place for school work.
It seems a great inconvenience at times for my wife and me to step over a pile of children on our way down a hallway. But after observing their actions, the nuisance should be ignored, if not celebrated. Most often, there is a book being read, a math problem being solved or a report being written, with the only sound coming from the hum of the stove's fan below.
In today's homes, where constant noise blares from the television, computers and hand held electronics, a retreat to a warm vent with only your thoughts, prayers and a good book, is a welcomed venture.
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| Our nine year old, writing in his journal, cozy and warm |
Contributed by my husband and hurdler of six little bodies warming themselves over heat vents.
I look forward to reading great writers as it brings the words alive with vivid pictures. In fact in this case, you can almost feel the warmth, peace and love. Frankly, I would rather see Eric write than paint and I love his painting. It is clear God has given him a gift that should not be hidden. He may not make money but his words and how he brings them to life will be remembered long after he is gone! A friend......
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