Saturday, August 8, 2009

Dear God,

A smile, a simple smile can produce an image of you. I was working with my nine-year-old granddaughter to clean her bedroom and closet which was a major undertaking. We had already worked more than 12 hours on Friday and I knew it would take many more hours to get it completely organized before she started school.

My grandchild and I have a close bond. When her mother nearly died giving birth to her, my pinky finger became her first pacifier. In the wee hours of the morning I stepped into her birthing room and looked into her tiny bed where she had just been cleaned up. She was squalling. I wondered if she knew her mom was in trouble. I put my finger in her mouth and she quieted right down. She nearly sucked the flesh off the bone. I sang to her. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray..." We connected for a lifetime.

I watched this special child's excitement as the room was shaping up. She was so happy to find things she had lost. She was thrilled to have a new string attached to the closet light so she could turn it off at night. Her smiles ushered me to you.

Thank you
for simple things.
Small gestures
of kindness
draw me
to your side.
It doesn't
take much
to make
me happy.
Thank you
for smiles
that draw me
to you.

Love, Andrea