Entrepreneurial spirit

While we (my parents, the kids, and I) were outside enjoying the lovely weather Tuesday afternoon, David decided it was a good opportunity for a bit of a business venture. We had recently read a library book in which one of the characters tried a lemonade stand, so I wasn' t all that surprised when he pulled up with this wagon and its attached sign that said "selling drinks".He was smart enough not to list a price, figuring he could feel us out and charge us as much as we would pay. He was very thorough, even chocking his wagon wheels (albeit in the wrong spot). He even tried maximizing his profits by selling milk (which his mother had paid for at the store) as well as water (which was stale water from his mother's plant-watering jug...my mom owes me one for tipping her off to that little fact before she started drinking!). It was one of those quintessential childhood-moments, and I was happy to get to share in it. I'll never forget the time that I, as a child visiting my grandparents in Florida, tried selling lemonade and (slightly-stale-and-melted-due-to-the-heat) cheese and crackers by the roadside. I remember feeling like it was such a serious and important business venture. And I remember being pleased as punch when I was done, happily packing up my supplies and going away to play something more exciting. I felt like such a grand success, and all because, after my hard work and long wait (or so it seemed to me), I had made a sale. My dad rode his bike out the backyard and around the long way just so that he could stop by my roadside stand and buy my lukewarm lemonade and slightly-stale-and-melted cheese and crackers. (Thanks, Dad.) And so that's why, when my son came around with his wagon, I paid him an exorbitant price for milk I had already paid for, and I did it with a beaming smile, a thank-you, and a warm feeling of pride and love. This is the sweet stuff of childhood.