Friday, October 8, 2010

The Holes Under Your Deck


You complain about the craters  your children are digging under your pool deck.  How they  are unsightly, and things get lost in them.  You call the children in from digging, and they  have to go straight into the tub. The shirts and shorts they were wearing may be soiled beyond any  washing.
One day you walk out to sit on your deck, and see grass growing up between the boards.  The path  they  used is now overgrown with weeds. You think about it, and realize it’s probably been a few years since any of your children dug in that dirt. They are now busy with driving, first dates, and the prom.
Your mind flashes back to a grubby little boy, smiling as he emerges with a fat toad. You remember the little voices drifting up from beneath the deck. The laughter, and occasional bumped head.
Tears fill your eyes as you become aware of how big your kids are getting. They re standing on the edge of the nest , testing their wings. Soon, they  will spread their wings and fly  away.
As annoyed as you once were with the holes, you wish you could go back there for a little while. To innocent little hearts, grimy little hands wanting to hug you. Children who had all day to dig in the dirt. The pure love of a child who isn’t embarrassed  to hug her mom and say, “I love you Mommy.”
God Bless the little children.

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