Fishing, Family, The cost of quality time is quantity of time

We got to visit a family who lives on a fifteen acre farm with a one acre pond. If it were in Texas I would call it a tank since that would be proper terminology for the area, but since we are in Arkansas, I will call it a pond. The pond is loaded with bluegill and catfish and we got to catch them with such ease that it almost felt like cheating.
These catfish are fed a special floating fish food so when the catching slowed down we tossed some food onto the water and here they came. We were out there fishing for a couple hours and managed to catch more fish than I had seen caught in almost a decade. Shame on me!
For those of you who might be offended, all fish we caught were safely released back into the pond. It killed me to do so, but we were not set up to cook and eat them so we will have to go back when we are able to catch and eat.
As with all family fishing adventures, I spent a good deal of time getting tangles out of lines. It never ceases to amaze me how fishing line can get such a complicated tangle instantly. I could not twist and loop the line in an hour and get the complication that it alone can do in a single instant.
It is one of those times when it is nearly impossible not to draw a comparison to life in general. I am sure there are physics involved in the tangle – stress and twist on the line, the angle and force of the cast, etc. But in the real lives of my children I think of how easily they can get themselves into a “tangle.” Whether it is a financial, relational, or emotional tangle it seems to happen so quickly and take such a long time to finally undo. But as with fishing, they are impossible to avoid so when they do happen we focus on the need, the solution and individual until it is repaired or undone. Then we let them cast again – hoping to live at least a little time before the next tangle must be undone.
One of the family members is a special needs individual. He would simple say, “I got a tangle.” And I would lay down my pole and untangle the loops, free the line and he would recast. He caught his fair share of fish along with the rest of us, but I get the feeling that he was more focused than the rest of us. I sometimes wish my children would be as quick to recognize the need for help. A tangle is easier than a knot to undo.
I caught a five pound cat but it shook itself free of the line at the bank so we didn’t get a picture of the fish on the line. What we did get was a picture of the fish at the bank, mouth open, splashing, being pursued by Belle, the family dog. Belle checked out every fish caught, snapping at the wriggling bounty as the kids struggled to free the fish without giving the dog a live toy.
It was great fun. It is always gratifying to see the kids and grandkids so excited doing something that occupies such focus at such a small cost. It was one of those quality moments that comes only with sufficient quantity of time spent together – well worth the cost.