The Right Motivation

Landen has been saving for a gear bike for over a year. Because we live on a hill he has realized the benefits of gears and how much easier that would make his ascent from school, soccer practice or friends houses. His current bike was also three years old and looking very small even on his little frame. So birthday money, Christmas money, tooth fairy money, grandma money, discovered money, and money from unknown sources has been being stashed in various locations in his room for some time. Drawers, bags, boxes, different wallets and purses acommodated his growing mass of dollar bills and coins. Landen has been very good at saving nearly everything-not always for a specific purpose, but just because he loves amassing things. He is a collector at heart. Money, dryer sheets, rocks, leaves, knives, clay balls from the yard, sticks, quarters etc have all been found on special collectors displays in his room. He once told me- "Mom a collection is never finished". So really I think he has been more "collecting" his money for the majority of the time.
However, in the recent past a few events have transpired that caused me to begin encouraging the bike dream with gusto. First- his sheer volume of spending capability had made his miserly ways less exciting and he had wanted to spend some of his money on things like a $15 signed baseball in a clear plastic box (i really think he liked the display box most). Second, he had ridden his little sisters "DI new" bike to school a couple of times at the end of school. It is baby blue with with cute flowers and designs. He didn't care and enjoyed having something with bigger wheels to help his speed and to assist the steep ascent home. However, he did tell me how much people made fun of him calling him a sissy and such. My friend Nicki observed him getting teased and asked why he was riding a girls bike. His response was a quick and incredulous, "I didn't even realize I was on this bike until I got to school!" Third and finally, it was summer and I wanted him to have a good bike to enjoy and I also wanted to help him have an opportunity to really work for something.

So we began researching bikes together. We talked around, found out good brands, searched the internet significantly, and made lots of calls. Finally, we felt that we had found a decent bike in his size for an affordable price. We made the trek to Riverdale with great anticipation. When he tried the 20" bike we had researched we realized that he really needed a bigger bike. So we decided upon a 24" bike which requires tippy toe standing and does not afford any space for his crotch when he stands over the frame. But we figured it would last much longer and provided many more features (lighter frame, more gears, etc.) So we had the tubes filled with slime, had the seat adjusted to the very lowest possible and listened to the lecture about how to care for your bike.

Landen then walked up to the register and pulled out his "wallet" has he calls it. From this shiny red coin purse with the gold clasp he pulled his rolled up bills and mass of coins. He handed the wad to the checker and told her its contents. $119.19 She of course had to recount it which took considerable time since she had to organize the bills and count the many pennies. We decided to help and made little individual piles of four quarters, and ten pennies. I was a little embarrassed to be holding up the line, but was proud of myself for letting him physically buy this himself. Since we'd chosed a bigger nicer bike Landen came up short and my Chase card ended up completing the purchase. We stuffed the bike in the van and headed home on cloud nine.

I told Landen that he needed to earn $50.00 additional dollars before he could ride his bike. So he parked it in a safe spot in the garage and rode it with permission only to show his Dad and a few special friends and family. I can't tell you how badly I wanted to just give him this bike and let him be free. But I restrained myself and made a little 50 box chart and a list of various jobs and their earning potential for him. Landen in the past has worried me in that he never seemed to value money or acquiring things enough to actually work for them. He was great at saving what came to him, but expending energy or more likely giving up play time didn't ever seem worth the end result of a new toy or treat or whatever. I was concerned that I was not teaching him good money skills or instilling in him a healthy work ethic or delayed gratification. Maybe I was just spoiling him? However, this was a different story. The minute that bike was in the garage Landen became a man with a mission. He carried the little job list around with him everywhere and began feverishly working on them. Instead of the $.50 bathroom cleaning he decided to start with the task with the largest return. $20.00 for clearing out a corner of our yard in preparation for sod. He had to weed, pick rocks, level the ground, and remove some large rocks. We worked together on this and another sod job and made some good memories doing things that were physically impossible for us individually-but barely manageable for us as a team. For two days Landen worked with a focus and intensity that we've regularly observed on the soccer field. After the first day he'd earned approximately $28 dollars and was so exhausted that he slept in considerably. He refused to play and even had to be asked to stop and eat with us. By the afternoon of the second day his chart was full and he raced to the garage to claim his prize.

How my heart swelled to see my little boy on this great big bike riding around the cul de sac in obvious delight. As I watched him leave to show his friends ascending the hill in a gear that looked like he was spinning circles in the air I just smiled and felt a great deal of satisfaction. I am so proud of his efforts and relieved to know that he can sacrifice for something. He just requires the right motivation. I can feel peace knowing that someday a special girl and some round faced innocent children will be all he needs to step up and wholeheartedly work to provide for them. How I love this intense little boy.

Finally, I had to post a picture of Landen's other obsession of late. He has become a photographer of feathered friends. My new camera is rarely in my possession because it is outside pointed upward capturing a hummingbird in flight, a nesting tanager on a telephone pole, or a turkey vulture circling so high it is almost in a different plane of existence. I've taught him to upload them onto the computer and he is quickly learning to create his own albums and do simple editing like cropping. He has woke up many mornings and immediately grabbed the camera and headed outside in pursuit of a particular bird. It is common to hear the door burst open and observe him sprint inside breathlessly explaining that he has seen a western bluejay perfectly posed and has to capture the moment. He has -true to his character-literally become obsessed with this hobby. My Picassa album is quickly becoming filled with literally hundreds of shots like the above.

My albums are equally blessed with shots like this-


And this-

That is a humming bird on the branch





I think that I have learned a little about Heavenly Father's relationship with his children from watching Landen and his bird obsession. First, Landen sees beauty and value in each bird regardless of how common it may be or how plain the coloring is. He spends hours pouring over each shot exclaiming how beautiful each bird is. I have to admit I've often looked over his shoulder at a very simple robin or sparrow as big as a dot in the sky and failed to recognize it as being worthy of my time.

In this picture he has seen a bird-where I only saw trees. His eye is so focused and sure. He truly loves these little birds and delights in their daily habits and simple beauty. He feels that each one is special and is willing to exert considerable effort to recognize and appreciate them individually. My appreciation for God's love for every individual and his incredible creative genius has increased from watching Landen.