Dylan Will Work.
Dylan has just shipped off to West Virginia, along with his church group, to help those less fortunate. He will be gone for one week.
Last year, I missed him terribly, but it was a positive experience for him. This year, I already miss him terribly – and I assume it will be just as positive.
And I know one thing for certain: Dylan will work.
Dylan has a lot of positive attributes. He is smart, and can solve problems better than I ever will. He is wildly gifted in music. And he understands things at a level above a lot of people, because he sees the “big picture” in life. He’s empathetic and kind and generous and loyal. He is dedicated and believes in promises.
And when he works, he works hard. Dylan does not like to sit still, and no matter his brilliance, school is never going to be his thing because of that. The flip side is: when he is at work, he is likely to be the hardest worker there. Because he understands its importance, he gives all he’s got to a job.
He wanted to be a mascot at a “birds of prey” day at our local park once. He wasn’t old enough, but he asked anyway – and they put him to work. At age 13, Dylan did a great job, walking around as a giant hawk for several hours. And he didn’t take any breaks, even though it was nearly a hundred degrees.
But what astounded me was Dylan’s work after he took off the costume. I went to pick him up at the scheduled time, and Dylan stayed nearly half an hour extra, because there were still things to be done. He was directing traffic. He was folding and transporting chairs. He was running up and down a huge hill to help people carry boxes and tables. And he didn’t stop until it was all done.
And that was just a day in the park.
Now he is taking part in the Appalachian Service Project, which means he will be doing something even more important – and he knows it’s substantial. He knows that his week in this community will make a huge difference in the lives of its people. And that will only make him work harder.
I will miss him terribly. But it’s worth it, knowing how much Dylan will change the world.