I watched as my 10-year-old grandson silently sketched at the kitchen table. He was sitting in front of a laptop on a Zoom call with my brother, his pens and sketch pad in front of him.
We’d set up the call so Jeff, an extremely talented artist, could show James some drawing techniques.
After 20 minutes of quiet, I heard them talking, comparing what they’d drawn. James asked intelligent questions about Jeff’s shading and poses, and Jeff asked the same questions of James.
The huge smile on James’ face told me the session was a success. Grateful doesn’t come close to describing how I feel about my brother. He graciously took a few hours out of his weekend sharing his talents with a youngster eager to learn.
Days later, I walked into my Mom’s kitchen and saw my nephew, Randall, at the stove with our youngest granddaughter. Randall works in the restaurant business in Virginia and has a dream of one day opening a co-op restaurant.
But today, he was showing Kat how to cook pasta, complete with an over-the-top Italian accent. They were laughing and chatting non-stop about cooking, vegetables and why the sky is blue.
After we got home, I asked my granddaughter to help with the pasta as she’d learned how to cook from a real chef.
She jumped right in, and we sent Randall a video of her at the stove, stirrer in hand, telling him how to cook the pasta, just as he’d done, accent and all.
Randall was delighted and said he’d like to set up more sessions with Kat so he could show her a few more cooking tips.
When adults pass on their knowledge of what they love doing, they aren’t aware of how impactful those innocent, often quick, lessons become to someone else.
Katherine knows the basics of sewing because her grandmother, Nonie, taught her, and she created some cute costumes for her brothers one afternoon.
Watching her, I thought about my grandmother, Marguerite, who taught me the basics of sewing.
She taught me how to make darts, the right way to trim seams, how to put in a zipper and how to hand sew buttonholes and a hem.
My Aunt Bev taught me how to knit. She was patient and made sure I understood the difference between knitting and purling before she let me create on my own.
Years later, I shared what Aunt Bev taught me with my two cousins, Lindsay and Casey, and Lindsay’s knitted a dozen slippers for those in need.
My mom, without making a big deal out of what she says, shows all of us how to be a fair and loving grandmother. Because of her, her children know how to transform random items in the refrigerator and pantry into a feast.
My dad taught me how to drive, and I think of him every time I’m navigating the interstate or trying to parallel park. He also taught us that a hammer, duct tape and black electrical tape can fix anything. You know what? They usually can.
Parents teach their children basic life skills, and they’re never taught in a formal setting. Those lessons are casually passed on in day-to-day living sessions.
Teens learn how to check the oil in their car or fix the chain on their bicycle in an easily forgotten summer afternoon, but those are skills we need.
Children learn to play during silly times with grown-ups. They learn how to make a bed, bake a cake, fold a fitted sheet and tie a tie as part of growing up.
Consider sharing what you know with a younger family member. It might not seem like a big deal that you know how to cast a fishing line, bake cookies or build a fire.
To the child learning about life, those moments are golden.
This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.