THE CHILD
(For the Parents and the Children)
Late one summer's evening
As I sat napping in my chair
The child came to me
Hugging her teddy bear
Gently she placed her hand upon my arm
While lightly tapping with tiny fingers
Her soft sweet voice asked, as if pleading,
"Grandpa, are you sleeping?"
Stirring from my slumber
I awakened into the shadows
And through my half closed eyes
I saw her standing there
Her image made me tremble
And gave my heart a tug
For I thought I must still be dreaming
And back through the years had somehow traversed
She looked so much like her father
When he was just a child
And for a fleeting moment
It was he that I did see
She seemed so small and helpless,
As the memories came flooding back
Of the times he too had awakened me
In his long ago restless nights
"What's the matter, Honey?" I asked
As I pulled her up onto my lap
She laid her sweet head upon my chest
And snuggled in close to me
She did not answer for a moment
But placed one arm around my neck,
The other still clinging to her bear
While my own hand gentling stroked her soft auburn hair
Quietly she rested
And for a moment I thought she might have slept
Then softly in a voice which broke my heart,
She whispered, "I dreamed of Daddy again."
Giving her a tight little hug
Then lightly patting her on the back,
I kissed her on her forehead and said softly,
"I know, Honey, I was dreaming of him too."
She stirred ever so slightly
Then lifted her sad eyes to look into mine
As a tear ran down her cheek, she cried,
"Grandpa, in my dream, Daddy wouldn't talk to me.
We were sitting at a table and I was serving him some tea.
I was so happy Grandpa, 'cause Daddy was here with me.
But Grandpa, I could not see his face, and
He would not talk to me.
Grandpa, I can't remember what he looks like
He has been gone so very long
I still love and miss him, Grandpa
But now Daddy won't talk to me.
I know that I was little
When Daddy went to Heaven
Grandpa, did my Daddy love me?
Do you think he still misses me?"
By now she was sitting upright
Her eyes both wide and moist
And looked at me so hopefully
As if I alone could erase the hurt
I summoned all my courage
Because for her I must be strong
I gently held her face in my hands
Then placed a kiss on her wet cheek
With my trembling fingers
I brushed away her tears
And eased her head down upon my breast
So she would not see mine
Then softly, I told my precious little one,
"Listen now to your Grandpa,
And remember what I say
For what I say is true.
It is good you dream of your Daddy
Because you love him so
But dreams are funny creatures
That sometimes make us sad.
"You must never stop your dreaming
As dreams hold our wishes, hopes and memories
And memories, hopes and wishes
Are sometimes all we have.
I know your Daddy dreamt of you and Mommy
When he went off to fight the war
Because he often wrote to me
And told me of those dreams.
Don't fret that you can't remember
Of how your Daddy looked
For you were only three years old
When he had to leave.
You have your Daddy's features, his eyes, nose and grin
So when you can't remember him
Just look into your mirror and smile
And he'll be smiling back at you.
I know your Daddy misses you
Just as much as you miss him
But God had other important duties
That He needed your Daddy to do.
Remember what you know about Jesus
And about His sacrifice for all of us
So that after you have lived a long and happy life
Someday we can all be with your Daddy again.
Always too remember your Daddy's bravery and sacrifice
He was truly a man among all men
For he went and fought for Freedom
Not just for us but for all mankind.
Now here's a little secret
On how to make your dreams so nice
When you lay your head upon your pillow
And as you are falling asleep.
Just think of all the good things
Your Daddy to you would say
And I'd bet my bottom dollar
In your dreams Daddy will talk to you.
Now you asked if your Daddy loved you
Yes he loved you so
More than life itself
He loved you.
Before you were even born
Your Mommy had once gone shopping
And bought a little shirt that said,
'Daddy's Little Girl'.
Your Daddy called me up
And talked about your coming birth
Then told me of this shirt and said,
'Dad, we'll have to get a lot more of those'.
When you were just a baby
Your Daddy would lay you on his chest
And your little hand would hold his finger
As you both slept.
Someday when you are older
You will realize
That a parent's love is eternal
So it never, never dies.
Fret no more my Sweetheart
For your Daddy loved you
Before you were even born
And Honey, he loves you still."
I looked upon the child and asked her
"Do you want to stay here and sleep?"
Without raising her head she nodded
And burrowed deeper into my chest
In the shadows I sat watching
As the child drifted off to sleep
This magnificent, angelic gift
That my son had left to us
In a few minutes she rustled and murmured
A small smile flashed across her sweet face
And I knew my son had returned to tell her
"Honey, I love you."
Gently I kissed her forehead
Then rested my head on the back of the chair
Telling myself all the things I wanted to say in my dreams
When the boy came back to me
And later in my slumber
The child came to me
Looking so small and helpless
Hugging his teddy bear
"Honey, I love you." I said.