Hot Springs--A Literal View

We decided to take a short vacation to Arkansas where we stayed at DeGray State Park in a lodge right on the lake that allowed us to bathe visually in the sheer and glorious beauty of tall pine trees, and an abundance of water glistening with light from the sun as it gently touched every particle of water within its reach. It was a relaxing and enjoyable time.

On Sunday, we headed to Hot Springs National Park to experience the Hot Springs! A few days before, we had discussed the Hot Springs with Joel partly to get him excited about the upcoming event and partly to educate him about the park. Little did we know, however, that the park and the springs were actually a set of abandon broken down bathhouses near a charming spring that happened to be very warm but also appealing to touch. While there was definitely historical value in seeing the bathhouses, and I was somewhat curious as to who participated in the bathhouses and why, in the end, I was slightly disappointed that the park was not the kind of park I expected. But I was excited and encouraged to see the commitment and effort to restore the old bathhouses. The walk along the path conjured up anachronistic visions of people seeking hot baths, massages, and other valuable self-improvement healing methods. Best wishes to Hot Springs as it embraces the past and progresses forward in the future. This illustrious city obviously takes pride in reclaiming the glory of the bathhouses and blending the old with the new.

But about a week before the vacation, Joel did not seem thrilled as we talked about our upcoming trip. For two days I noticed an odd look on his face that I could not seem to decipher. This was hard to understand since Joel normally loves to swim. Finally, the night before we left, I mentioned to Joel that he did not seem excited about the Hot Springs, and he once again got a nervous look on his face. After several minutes, he asked me if the springs would hurt? I said no and he proceeded to ask me how they heat the coils! Suddenly it hit me that Joel was imagining springs as in coils. Maybe he visualized lying down on a hot set of bed springs.

Joel takes things literally and visualizes the literal interpretation of what he hears. I smiled with him and explained that a spring comes from the ground and is made of warm water. He then got excited and asked me several questions about the water. His initial confusion led to a special moment of learning and love as I explained about rainfall, water tables, rivers, lakes, and springs and God's gift of water. We also discussed how words can often mean more than one thing and that context can usually help us define the meaning of words.

As many things in my fatherhood with Joel, it was a special time--touching in many ways, revealing in some, and mostly charming in that it reminded me not to assume that Joel hears what we think he hears. Even with the many challenges we face teaching Joel, the special moments far outweigh the difficult ones.