Tony, the 5 year old, tells his mommy that he wants to spend the entire day with Don. Don, the 50 year old, tells his wife that he wants to spend the entire day with Tony. What do they do? They pick up sticks before mowing, they load up the truck with garbage and ride side-by-side to the dump, they hammer nails, they check out engines of cars, they tighten bolts on the training wheels of Tony's bicycle or they hang out with the dogs.
Their last trip to the dump ended in smiles because they visited the Little House of Flowers and picked up a random rose for Tony's mother, after working together on something or other. Tony's daddy lives in another town and they only get to visit once in awhile, Tony's mommy doesn't do the "boy" things as much as Tony needs, and so, Don, and his wife Julie, have become the neighbors and friends to them, picking up the slack where his mother cannot.
Incidentally, they own the Little House of Flowers. And also incidentally, Tony's Mommy is me, the writer of this particular blog post.
We all have a story to tell. Mine is not so different than many others, and in the past few years, I have realized that going through a painful divorce and losing a brother at a very young age can actually make the people in your life all that more special. It also helps me to realize just how many blessings I actually have in my life. There are so many more people who are struggling with that and even more. Death, birth, heartache, aging parents, divorce, unemployment and ah, what else? So many more things. It is helpful to know that we're not all alone, isn't it? There is someone out there who knows how you are feeling, and there is someone out there who knows the key to living...
On the days when I feel like it is all-consuming, I think about the friendship that my son has forged with Don. Forty-five years between them, and they both know what the key to this life is. They know the things that matter and the things that don't.
Live.
No comments:
Post a Comment