Heaven Box

Ever since we told Robby that we were going to Ohio to visit his Grandma, he has been looking forward to two things: collecting eggs on his cousin's farm and going fishing. He vividly remembers "Grandma's fishing hole" and the fun he had reeling in fish after fish last year. It seemed as if a fish hooked onto his line nearly as soon as it was dropped in the water. 

Last year we drove to Ohio which made bringing his fishing gear feasible. Because he flew this year, we weren't able to pack his pole and tackle box. Scott and I discussed it and figured that, in the worse case scenario, we could run to Wal-Mart and buy a cheap pole to keep at Grandma's for future years.  Unbeknownst to anybody, Robby's grandfather who passed away more than 25 years ago had already taken care of securing a fishing pole for his grandson.

Although I never met him, I understand that Scott's dad was an avid fisherman. Unfortunately his poles, having been unused for at least half a century, were no longer functional. Scott and I decided that we were going to have to buy a pole for Robby to keep in Ohio, but we were hoping that his Dad's tackle box would hold all of the other supplies we needed.  After some searching, the massive tackle box, which hasn't been opened since he passed away, was pulled from the attic.

Sitting on the back porch, Robby and his Uncle Jeff opened the tackle box. To the surprise of everybody, especially his grandmother, the tackle box contained a grand new fishing pole. The printing on the package was the only indication that this pole was over 25 years old. The reel, a push button type scaled for a child, looked like it had been selected especially for a boy Robby's age. The fact that the rod was yellow only contributed to the mystique of this discovery.

Robby immediately declared that his grandfather was smiling in heaven because he had finally found the surprise. After that point, Robby renamed the tackle box the "heaven box" as he delighted in the gift. He was so excited to be fishing with the pole that he is confident was bought with him in mind so many years ago. 

Although he never met his maternal Grandfather, yesterday he held a strong presence in Robby's life. All afternoon he talked about him, about how happy he probably was watching him finally fishing with his pole, and how nice it was for him to think of him before he was even born. I never met him either, but I certainly felt his spirit as Robby was enjoying the sport they both love so much.