"Mommy! I have a card for you!" my little boy declares. "Look!" He smiles his bright grin and offers me his 'card' with a flourish.
"Thank you," I say automatically.
I look down.
The world's smallest greeting card rests like a speck of white on my hand. It is a homemade card, crafted from a small scrap piece of paper that is only one square inch. It almost qualifies as confetti. And he's folded it in half.
On it's small surface, he has scratched something illegible in pencil with bold, decisive strokes. The little kid hieroglyphics are undecipherable to my untrained eyes.
He's waiting for me to read it aloud. He even murmurs an "awwww", like the "awwww" he has heard from me when I get a card from my husband.
He's waiting.
"It's wonderful!" I say enthusiastically. "Thank you!" I hug him and his little arms encircle my neck. While he snuggles on my lap, I encourage him to translate "Tell me about this card. What does it say?"
"It says 'Dear God', Mommy." He explains so patiently.
Wow! My heart does a sweet little flip. And I can feel the "awwww" coming on. "It says 'Dear God'?" I look at the paper again the way some people look at holographic pictures waiting for the image to pop out.
"No, it says 'Dear God, Mommy'." He corrects me. Apparently, the word 'Mommy' has also been carefully engraved on this card.
Double flip this time. A full-blown "awwww" moment has arrived.
It's like a lovely prayer that my child has said just for me. And with those words, he has set a beautiful intention and statement into being.
I cannot fully express my delight, my pride, and my awe of that moment.
"Thank you, I really love it!!" my voice is a little wobbly from emotion. And as I hug him again, he starts into his prayers, usually reserved for bed-time. "God bless Mommy and Daddy and ..."
Long after that little piece of paper fluff has disintegrated, I will have this lovely memory.
"Thank you," I say automatically.
I look down.
The world's smallest greeting card rests like a speck of white on my hand. It is a homemade card, crafted from a small scrap piece of paper that is only one square inch. It almost qualifies as confetti. And he's folded it in half.
On it's small surface, he has scratched something illegible in pencil with bold, decisive strokes. The little kid hieroglyphics are undecipherable to my untrained eyes.
He's waiting for me to read it aloud. He even murmurs an "awwww", like the "awwww" he has heard from me when I get a card from my husband.
He's waiting.
"It's wonderful!" I say enthusiastically. "Thank you!" I hug him and his little arms encircle my neck. While he snuggles on my lap, I encourage him to translate "Tell me about this card. What does it say?"
"It says 'Dear God', Mommy." He explains so patiently.
Wow! My heart does a sweet little flip. And I can feel the "awwww" coming on. "It says 'Dear God'?" I look at the paper again the way some people look at holographic pictures waiting for the image to pop out.
"No, it says 'Dear God, Mommy'." He corrects me. Apparently, the word 'Mommy' has also been carefully engraved on this card.
Double flip this time. A full-blown "awwww" moment has arrived.
It's like a lovely prayer that my child has said just for me. And with those words, he has set a beautiful intention and statement into being.
I cannot fully express my delight, my pride, and my awe of that moment.
"Thank you, I really love it!!" my voice is a little wobbly from emotion. And as I hug him again, he starts into his prayers, usually reserved for bed-time. "God bless Mommy and Daddy and ..."
Long after that little piece of paper fluff has disintegrated, I will have this lovely memory.
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