Today as I carefully dug to the bottom of my love chest, past pictures drawn by grandchildren, wedding day napkins, newspaper clippings, and baby announcements, I am reminded how full my life truly is. As I find the bundle of dried flowers, from days gone by, and carefully open the paper, I drift back to a much simpler time. Wasn’t it just yesterday, that I watched my son at play, in my backyard?
My hands pause over the morning dishes as I watch him. He is gathering flowers from our yard, and I hold my breath as he wanders past our neighbors hybrid Roses. I laugh out loud as I recall a day when he didn’t pass our neighbor’s garden. I had been watching him, much like today, through my kitchen window, and had only turned my head for a minute, when I heard him at the back door. There he stood with his arms full of my neighbors prize, “green”, tomatoes! His face was beaming as he exclaimed, “I found green balls!”
Today I can laugh, as I remember that dreaded trip to explain to my neighbor, how his beautiful tomatoes were no longer growing on the vine. But today he is on a different mission as he plucks dandelions, clover, and choice weeds, with his chubby, four-year-old -hands, and places each one carefully in a paper Dixie cup. My heart fills with joy as I take in, this tiny moment in time. It is the same joy I felt, when he was first placed into my arms, on the day of his birth. It’s a feeling of pride and complete happiness. That feeling would return to me many times, as the years rolled by, and my son grew to be a man.
He’s artistic, and a very talented musician, but the greatest thing about him is, his kind heart. There were times when his kindness was mistaken for weakness. I must admit, when he was being bullied at school, I encouraged him to be a little tougher. Thank God; He didn’t listen to me. He remained, true to himself, and taught me that it takes far more strength, to set an example of kindness.
That afternoon, I watched as he filled his cup, then with a look of satisfaction, he headed for the house. I busied myself, so as not to spoil the surprise, and as he presented his gift saying, “They’re for you Mom,” I threw up my hands in an act of surprise and delight. “Oh they’re beautiful!” I exclaimed, as I set them proudly in the center of the table, and fought the urge to sneeze. His dark eyes were shining as I scooped him up, and thanked him for his gift.
It was such a tiny moment in time, yet it capsules the exchange of love between a mother and her son. I knew that day, how special that moment was. So I tucked those “flowers” away with a note that read, “When the youth has left my face, and my little boy no longer plays in my back yard, I will unwrap a memory, of years gone by, and remember the joy of this day.” Barbara (Bobby) Smith ©Jan. 21, 2004.
