I think I’ve written about my commute before.
There’s a small house in the town of Kenduskeag, situated just north of the town center on Maine Route 15. In typical Maine-speak, it’s just past the big red barn (with the blue-tarped roof) that got torn down last year, and just before a row of three mobile homes. I haven’t the faintest idea who lives there, other than the fact that it appears to be a family of five: Mother, father, and three elementary-school-aged children.
What has caught my eye about this house is the presence of Tonka Trucks in the front yard; a grader, a front-end bucket loader, and a large dump truck, much like the ones I had as a young boy. It also hasn’t escaped my notice that the three children seem to play well with each other with these toys whenever I’m driving by on my way to work, regardless of the weather. I especially observed that during the winter last year. Big snowbanks or small, dry ground or great mud puddles, they were always out there, talking, laughing, and playing, under the watchful eyes of their parents. They live on a busy road, but they respect the boundaries.
Of the dozens of kids of all ages that I pass on my commute to work, they are having the most fun. Rain or shine, these children act their ages. Their parents exercise appropriate supervision; not hovering, but not disinterested. It’s refreshing, and they’ll never know what this commuter thinks, because stopping to tell them would be weird and would probably freak them out.
Mack Ames Books and Maine Moose Patrol 
Yes, love this picture. So tough to figure out how to create that glorious space for our kids to act their age in a great setting. I’m done with that stage now, but still it is a puzzle I wish I could help parents solve.
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I think that being a loving parent that supports his kids in pursuing their interests within the boundaries of propriety is a very good way to start, David! It seems to me that you do that.
Like I said, I don’t know anything about the true nature of the home life of these kids. I don’t know if their home is a loving, nurturing one or not. I’ve caught glimpses of them for five-to-20 seconds at a time, up to five days a week, for the last couple of years, and what I’ve observed as remained consistent.
What I see from you is a man that loves his children and provides a safe haven for them. You are still providing the opportunity for them to act their ages and to mature into godly adults.
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