Giving a Blessing Vignettes

This sketch is actually a series of three sequential-but not contiguous-scenes, which work well as illustrations placed within a message. In the first scene, Dad comes home to his 15-year-old son Ryan playing a computer game. Dad wants Ryan to bring in the trashcans, but Ryan is defensive. With persistence and sensitivity, Dad uncovers Ryan's real issue-anxiety about the upcoming basketball tryouts. The second scene starts mid-argument. Dad is going through a litany of Ryan's poor use of time. Ryan sneezes, and when Dad off-handedly says, "God bless you," Ryan challenges. How does a "blessing" come so easily when Dad's in the middle of berating him? Good point! The final scene has Dad approaching Ryan with sensitivity and humor, wanting to talk to him "man to man." Ryan jokes that he already knows where babies come from, but a tender moment ensues as Dad struggles to tell Ryan that he is proud of him, believes in him, and is trying to do better with Ryan than his own dad did with him. The sketch ends with them affirming their love for each other in an authentic-but not too sappy-way.