Since Lilly started pre-school in September,
her grandfather has been volunteering
every week,
on Wednesdays --
the very day we cared for her
for over two years.
He spends about four hours --
helping with stories,
snacks,
lunches,
naps.
He loves it.
I have never known anyone who has such
natural rapport with small children.
Every one of our grandchildren
adores him,
and with good reason.
Today was a field trip -
and I got to go, too.
"The wheels on the bus
go round and round..."
Thirty pre-schoolers,
about a dozen adults,
all of us singing,
doing the hand motions,
anticipating a fun couple of hours.
The day was warm,
HOT, to be exact,
and crystal clear,
as we unloaded
ourselves from the
big yellow school bus.
The Pumpkin Patch
is only a few miles
from the school
and is small and compact.
Thank goodness!!
Have you ever tried
to corral 30 small persons
around a large open field?
In we marched,
and Lilly found
Poppy's hand just as
soon as she could.
Everyone filed into the shade
for a presentation
about pumpkins, gourds,
and Indian corn.
These two little girls - our Lilly on the left,
and Carolyn, on the right,
were born on the same day,
just hours apart.
And the director of the pre-school
was in the waiting room with
all the grandparents.
Each of these cuties
has an older sibling
who was a student at the school
at the time of their birth.
I have no memory of ever
seeing a school administrator
at any of my kids' births!
After learning about fall veggies,
and enjoying a much-needed cup
of cold water and a snack,
the kids were let loose to pick a pumpkin.
Lilly chose a small, compact one
and her teacher happily wrote her
name on it and put it in the class wagon.
Trying to get a class photo was interesting.
And fun.
The two girls in the center of the front row,
that's our girl and her BFF, Alice.
They truly love each other,
hugging when they meet,
choosing to sit together often,
sharing long connections
through their parents and
older sisters -
all of whom are friends.
For the purposes of this 31-day challenge,
I could wax eloquent
about how much beauty this
small person has brought into our lives.
And before this month is over,
I most likely will do so.
But tonight?
Tonight I want to celebrate the
beauties of friendship,
the joys of shared history,
the ties that connect
people over time
and life experience.
We are designed for community,
and it shows up very early.
I was delighted to see these lovely threads
winding between two small girls,
not yet three years old.
One of the most beautiful things
I've seen all day, in fact.
