today is the day
one of the little guys
in our family
vanished
way too early
and
another little guy
appeared
just a few years later
on the very same day
to join our family
happy birthday
to one
and
i miss you
to the other
and
i
will always
love
both of you
—
image credit: faerie magazine
zucchini joy
i was attending a wedding shower where couples and families had been invited, and the soon-to-be bride and groom each shared true stories about the other growing up. v got up first, and shared a sentimental story about his love, back when she was just a little girl, and it inspired the guests to let out a collective, ‘awwwwww,’ when he was finished.
then c got up and shared her story about him. she told the tale of when v was little, and he desperately wanted a pet. his parents told him that it was absolutely not going to happen. and he cried and he begged and he cried some more, but all to no avail.
he wanted a companion so badly, that one day he adopted a large zucchini that he had found in the garden. he put a rope on it to create a leash, and took it on a walk. he loved his zucchini, took care of it, cleaned the outside of it, and dragged it along with him wherever he went. his mother made him keep it outside to sleep at night, where he left bowls of water for it, and each morning he ran to get it and was reunited with his pet once more. and he was happy.
a couple of re-enactors
before too long, as zucchini are known to do, especially when being dragged around in the dirt, the zucchini began to rot and fall apart. v valiantly tried to patch it up as best he could, but when he took it to walk around with him, little chunks fell off, and then big ones, and then bigger ones, until there was nothing left of it.
he had desperately tried to save his beloved pet, but now all that remained, was a stain on the leash, just hanging limp in his hand with nothing on the other end. and he sat in the dirt and he mourned the loss of his beloved pet zucchini.
and the shower guests responded with a collective silence. and then some laughed until they could not stop laughing, and tears rolled down their faces. and one had tears rolling down his face just remembering his zucchini.
habseligkeiten (German) – things that an adult might find worthless, but that a child regards as treasures.
——
image credits: stephiemccarthy.com, flkr.com, zazzle.com
just got the call from a robot at school. this is the perfect storm. snow day on tap for tomorrow, and knowing it early.
reminds me of the time i had a snow day and my daughter and i went shopping to celebrate. i was wearing my new, full length, warm, warm winter coat. as we got out of the car, i stepped on to a patch of ice and somehow slid under the car, and into a massive puddle beneath where the ice had cracked. my daughter, upon stepping out of the car on her side, said she looked around and was stumped when she couldn’t figure out where i’d gone. once she figured it out and heard me calling out from below the car, instead of rescuing me, she decided to take a picture of it and quickly send it to her sisters and call them to tell them what was happening. good thing i had on my new, giant coat, which acted as an impromptu flotation device. she finally helped me out and as we walked into the store, a bit wet and muddy, and we laughed so hard and so long that i then wet myself, making it even a bit colder. life does not get any better.
Each day provides its own gifts. – Marcus Aurelius
I didn't have my glasses on.... 