Today I received a story about the strong memories a father had when he caught his first fish. His excitement on that day was only surpassed when his son caught his first fish.
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| Jonah gets a helping hand showing off his first fish |
When Ian was nine, his family spent a few nights at a summer resort with few activities for the mind of an active child. During dinner he snuck out of the dining room to check out the dock. In his hand he held an uneaten bread roll from the meal. To Ian's surprise he found a simple rig on the dock. It consisted of line wrapped around a rusty tin can. At one end of the line Ian squished some of the bread roll onto the hook. As Ian began to uncoil the line from the can he became doubtful that he would ever catch a fish. As he turned to walk away from the dock, the can began bouncing towards the water. Ian caught the can and pulled on the line. To his amazement a small catfish emerged from the depths and began to flop on the dock. Then it wriggled it's way back into the water. Ecstatic, Ian ran back to his parents and began to recount his tale.
Many years later Ian saw a similar reaction from his son Jonah, as the boy landed the first fish of his life. He and his son had been fishing from a boat in the waters of the Pohick bay, a brackish, tidal area of the Potomac bay. Jonah's pole bent with the first tugs of a smallmouth bass. As Ian looked at his son he felt deep emotions stir within him. In Jonah's eyes there was only pure happiness and excitement that would continue to last for days.
Sometimes seeing other people catch fish and watching the incoherent excitement and joy on their faces for several hours later beats catching the fish yourself. Having your own personal wins are great, but sharing the moments of widespread happiness with the people you love can create a greater fulfillment.
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