Family First

I ran across this poem and it reminded me of a post I did on Rossie recently. Somehow, it just reminded me of his exuberance in picking flowers for his Mom and that all little boys first love is Mommy. It just made me think about how tender little kids' hearts are and how we shape them by what we say and do.

"I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh, excuse me please" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me too,
I wasn't watching out for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I
We went our way while saying good-bye.

But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down,
"Get out of the way!" I said with a frown.

Hw walked away, his little heart broken,
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake that night in bed
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger
Common courtesy you use,
but the family you love,
you seem to abuse.

Go out and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you,
He picked them himself; pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise
He left without you seeing the tears in his eyes.

By this time I felt amazingly small,
As own my tears were beginning to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed,
"Wake up, little one, wake up!" I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
"Ah huh, I found 'em out by the tree.

I picked 'em cuz they're pretty like you
I knew you'd like 'em, 'specially the blue!"

"Son I'm very sorry for the way I acted today
It's OK Mama, I love you anyway!"

"Sweetheart, I love you so much too
And I like the flowers, especially the blue!'

*************

I do not know who wrote this but I don't think I will
every receive a flower or a colored picture
from a little one again, without thinking of it.