I wanted to describe the perfect snow for snowballs. I tried. I really did. But, in the interest of time, I asked Chat GPT. Once it had given me an apt description of that perfect snow, I asked the same source to wax poetic about it. Here’s what I got.
Beneath the winter’s hushed embrace,
A snow descends with perfect grace.
Neither powder fine, nor icy weight,
But a blend the season deems innate.
It molds with ease in mittened hand,
A frosty gem shaped on demand.
Soft yet firm, it holds its form,
Born of clouds and winter’s storm.
Moisture whispers in each flake’s core,
Binding together, yet nothing more.
Cool to the touch, but gentle still,
A playful pact with winter’s chill.
At thirty-two, the air is right,
For battles waged in snowball fights.
Each throw arcs high, a fleeting dream,
Bursting joy in a sparkling gleam.
So gather round, and take your aim,
In this enchanted, wintry game.
That’s scarry, isn’t it? But it perfectly describes the snow that had fallen as of January 11, 2024. My oldest son, Ben, and my three grandsons, Koen, Malachi, and Silas, had come to spend the weekend with us. PERFECT. We had spent the morning shoveling snow and sled riding. Now, after lunch, it was time for the fighting to begin.
The younger two grandsons were given a reprieve from the battle because they were too young to be drafted according to GiGi rules. But Koen, the oldest, would join us. I actually came home after my gym work out to find that the forts had already built, the snowballs were stacked, and the fighting had already begun. I came into it a little late and I’m still not sure what the rules of engagement were but they had something to do with capture the flag, which was lumber from my fire pit. I joined my youngest son’s team because he had not been able to win a round. So, the stage was set. The rest was a blur of whizzing snowballs and crazy strategies aimed to divide and conquer and the rules changed 20 more times during the ensuing fighting. I actually picked up the cover for the fire pit to use as a shield and was immediately disqualified. That was good because I was gasping for breath anyway. There was a lot of gasping for breath actually. Thank God no one is counting on me to save them in battle today.
There were shouts and battle cries. There were cries. Well, there were tears, but no blood would be spilled that day.
Here's a picture from that epic scene:
My grandson’s name is Koen Rayner Smith. His name means ‘strong and courageous warrior’. It was an intentional name and we speak it over him regularly to remind him of his identity. I’ve written lullabies for each of my grandsons that we regularly sing to them at bedtime for sure and anytime I get the chance. Koen’s lyrics go like this:
You are wise, you are strong, you are courageous
To the Lord you belong, He is your shield.
Koen Rayner. Don’t be afraid
Koen Rainer. Always be brave
You are wise, you are strong, you are courageous
To the Lord you belong, He is your strength.
Just today (a Wednesday after the epic clash) I called him to tell him how proud I was that he had fought in the Snow Wars at Smitherton and survived. There were several times, he was hit with a snowball and started to cry. But, he gathered himself and fought on. There are times when you can’t run to Gigi. It was good that GiGi was not there. I reminded him that he was a strong and courageous warrior in battle.
Ben and his wife Alyssa do a wonderful job in affirming their boys in their calling, even at young ages. We, as grandparents, partner with them because we know that it brings LIFE. Calling forth identity in a child should be a primary responsibility of every family member. I suppose it does NOT go without saying that this too must line up with God’s will for the child. Who better to partner with God’s purposes in that than the family he’s entrusted the child to. Remember, they are God’s children first. That can be a bitter pill for some parents to swallow. I find it most reassuring and comforting. I am partnering with God to bring forth HIS best purposes for the children He has entrusted me to raise.
In our soon to be released book “Boys Have a Dam Problem: Examining the Faults that Have Put Our Boys In Crisis” I talk about naming, blessing, and affirmation extensively. Treign Up (Treignup.org) is committed to the training and AFFIRMATION of boys on the pathway towards manhood.
Here’s the scene of that epic battle today.
It stands as a monument to the men who fought there so long ago and sacrificed their dignity. I mean, it is a bit embarrassing when you can’t traverse the battlefield without being winded and your rocket launcher arm is more like a soft-toss whiffle ball. They laughed at me! But, my strategy paid off as we captured the flag three times after I got there. Perhaps I’m a better general than a private these days. But the real fight was in the trenches. We encouraged my grandson to fulfill his destiny: Strong and Courageous Warrior.
As I looked upon it, I smiled to remember the Snow Wars at Smitherton and the victory that was won there on January 11, 2025.