She admits, to this day, that my solution was not at all what she had expected. And, that although it involved a considerable amount of discomfort for my brother, I was successful in completing the task at hand. Our expectations of young children are rarely accurate. They continuously surprise us. We tend to focus too frequently on the big picture rather than living in the moment as they so often do.
Curiosity can be a great motivator.
My Grandmother was curious to see how I would solve the sand problem. I doubt very much whether she was envisioning me as an environmental engineer twenty years up the road. Her ability to live in the moment was a wonderful gift. I followed her into the farmhouse that day with my head held high, proud of my accomplishment. The child within, that is.