"THE" HAMMER

A couple weeks before Lucas' debut, Matt and Jenny were having dinner with us. The conversation turned towards Matt's last days working on the
roof this summer. He casually mentioned , though not really concerned, that he had left some tools on the roof and wondered what the chances of recovering them were at this time.

When asked, he reported among other items was a hammer. Immediately Jenny reminded him that this was no ordinary hammer. This hammer Jenny's dad had given her. This hammer was a gift to her when she was a little girl. With this hammer her father had built their home. She and this hammer had had many wondrous building adventures through the years. When Jenny learned that "the" hammer had been lost she was most sad. Perhaps you might say beyond consolation.

Later that evening I received a phone call from a Matt. In hushed, but emphatic tones he implored me to try my best to find that hammer.

The very next day, at my Monday morning safety meeting I put out the plea to "find the hammer!" I explained that Matt's wife, hormone-plagued with the pending birth of their son, was soooo sad about her dad's hammer. Those 28 roofers made it their unofficial duty to find that needle of a hammer in a haystack of dirty old roofing tools spread across 20 trucks.

Those roughhewn roofers had hearts of gold. It seemed that every day or so for the next two weeks one of them would would show up at my office with another old hammer. "Old" was the operative word. None, however, were it.

One day our #1 man, Bill, brought in his own late father's hammer and offered it as a substitute. Indeed it was old and ratty, but even this very sweet gesture wouldn't slake her sadness. She knew she would most likely never see that hammer again.

But this posting has, as the photograph reveals, a very happy ending. Two rainy days before the birth, Dave, one of our foreman, was cleaning out the back of his truck and found a hammer with all the earmarks: tar-stained, ragged handle, orange paint on the end, and a crooked neck.

A minor miracle. What was lost was now found.

We held it quietly for two days. Then that evening at the hospital, we called Mark, Jenny's dad, aside and asked him for a positive identification. To say he was puzzled to be shown at hammer while his daughter was on the other side of the door in the pangs of child birth would be the proverbial understatement. But once informed, he quickly assured us it was indeed "The" hammer. We wrapped it up in nice baby-festooned gift wrap and continued hallway vigil outside the birthing room. We gave Jenny this special gift shortly after Lucas arrived. The look on her face needs no commentary.

Greg, one of our salesmen, commented on the photo hanging proudly in my ofice window. He has two girls of his own and spoke with authority when he declared that Matt was a very lucky man. Lucky to have such a low-maintenance wife that she would be thrilled with a used tool at such a time as this.

Betsy and I agree. Certainly our precious Lucas is a big reason. But our appreciation predates his arrival by many years. We've been appreciating Jenny since the day we started praying for that special girl who would one day marry our son. Obviously our prayers were perfectly answered.

Jon & Betsy