A Concrete Invitation

Some invitations are easily discovered and completely irresistible, like the concrete invitation we received during the 2018 annual Vanderkwaak Family Gathering.  Acting upon this invitation was a spontaneous last-minute decision that resulted in a great deal of fun and a permanent record for posterity: well-formed handprints on the floor of our soon-to-be screened-in porch for each of our adult children, grandchildren and for ourselves as well.

The individuals who left their mark on August 3, 2018 will be forever present at our new home. Given the geographically dispersed nature of our family and the limited times we can be present with everyone at the same time and place, these handprints are a cherished keepsake. We marvel at the timing of it all and realize it was perfectly orchestrated by something beyond our ability to plan. Each time we share a cup of morning coffee or meal in our now-finished screened-in porch, we see the well-formed prints and feel the presence of our loved ones.

Our family had gathered that year at a house (airbnb) in Thompsonville MI large enough to sleep us all. Previous locations for our annual 3-5 day gatherings had ranged from Des Moines IA, Grand Rapids MI, various State Parks in Michigan’s UP, Redstone CO to Hamilton ON. Lodging arrangements had ranged from tent camping, cabins, our own homes, hotels or in 2018, the house we rented through airbnb. It all depended on which family member’s turn it was to coordinate dates, location, lodging and meal arrangements that worked for everyone.

Since the Thompsonville house was a mere 40-minute drive from our newly purchased property in northern Michigan, Lloyd and I had driven from Des Moines to the property several days before the planned family gathering. This early arrival gave us yet another opportunity to camp on the land, watch continued construction of our home there, and meet with various subcontractors and inspectors.

While we typically keep firm boundaries around the annual Vanderkwaak Family Gathering, Lloyd and I had taken liberty to invite my parents from Wisconsin to join us on August 3, the day we had planned two specific family activities: an afternoon outing to  our property to view progress on house construction, and a special dinner to celebrate Lloyd’s pending retirement from ChildServe.

Since my Dad was recovering from a recent hospitalization, my parents decided to travel the “easy” way, by taking the ferry across Lake Michigan. We had arranged to meet them on our property at 1PM for some quiet time together and had suggested that our kids/grandkids join us around 3PM. When Lloyd and I arrived to the property, we immediately noticed the concrete for the screened-in porch had just been poured. Until that moment, we had no idea that construction workers were planning to pour concrete on this particular day.

As any creative person knows, a  freshly poured  concrete slab is too good to waste!  The invitation was obvious. Who can resist a tabula rasa that can retain any record embossed into it? The window of opportunity isn’t very large though. Immediately after the pour, the concrete surface is too wet to stamp. After an hour or two, it begins to cure and gradually becomes stiff enough to hold impressions. Wouldn’t it be neat, we thought, to make handprint impressions in the concrete with our kids and grandkids?

We were hopeful but skeptical about the timing.  Would our kids arrive to the property before the concrete was too stiff? With such a large group, would there be enough time for everyone to make a handprint? As the procession of kid/grandkid cars finally arrived from Thompsonville, we knew the window of opportunity was rapidly closing. Big and little bodies piled out of the vehicles to greet my parents–beloved grandparents for our kids and great-grandparents for the next generation.

After initial greetings and preliminary exploration of the property (especially the big dirt pile!) Lloyd and I gathered the group around the idea of making handprints in the concrete. As curiosity and interest grew, I walked over to the house contraction site to tell the workers what we had in mind and Lloyd started to organize a line from oldest to youngest. As he led this line toward the rapidly setting concrete slab of our future screened-in porch, my parents watched from a nearby dirt area and amused construction workers cheered us on.

The timing turned out perfectly! One by one, from oldest to youngest, our kids and grandkids put their hands in place and began to apply the needed pressure. For those too short or too little to exert enough pressure, adults held them up and helped them bend over to push their little hands into the concrete. Lloyd and I left our handprints too, in a corner spot we had reserved.

We had no olive or other oil to lubricate our hands (to avoid pulling concrete off the porch floor) or  soap/running water to wash the concrete off.  We did the best we could though, with  baby wipes and rags we had on hand. All of the handprints turned out well, and are visible today from inside the screen-in porch. Even baby Rowan still in utero at the time, left his mark with the thumbprints of his parents.

 

After clean-up, further exploration of the property/house construction and a quick snack, it was time to get dressed up for Lloyd’s retirement dinner. My parents changed clothes in the pole barn, Lloyd and I  changed in our camper and our kids/grandkids changed back at the rental house in Thompsonville.

We spent the rest of the evening celebrating Lloyd’s retirement at Arcadia Bluffs,  a beautiful restaurant location along the shores of Lake Michigan.

When we reflect on the unexpected concrete invitation of August 3, we realize that not all of life’s invitations are easy to recognize. Not all are so irresistible or yield such meaningful immediate results. Some, we realize, are hidden from our initial awareness and may require sustained attention to perceive and a great deal of courage to act upon.

What we do know is this: invitations are always present. The challenge is to see them, and most of all, to cooperate with them whenever we can.

 

 

 

 

Vicki Vanderkwaak On February 13, 2020   /   A Journey