We have new neighbors

Late last night we became neighbors of four newborn robin chicks.  They are in a nest just outside of our garage, and have a very proud (and protective) mother.  The kids have just loved getting out there and seeing the eggs lay in the nest, and now seeing one or two open beaks as we sneak a peek at the baby birds.

There’s a wonder that you can only see in the eyes of a child.  The innocence of seeing everything as pure and right is so refreshing when we look around and see how adults treat one another.  We probably all have situations we can think of where we, or someone we knew as kids, would have a fight with a friend or neighbor, swear that we’d never talk to them again, and then thirty minutes later be out playing with them again. 

My oldest daughter struggles with the passing of her grandfather a few months ago.  She understands death, and how it separates people, and really misses seeing him.  She has a rudimentary understanding of cancer and how he was in the hospital many times over his last few years of life.  She still cries over it, but at the same time, she still talks about the things that she remembers and how she might be able to see him again someday in heaven.  That’s the sincerity and innocence that I hope to maintain in my life.  A steadfast awe with life, and the hope of things so much greater than this.

A friend of mine related a story one time.  His son would talk about everything, and had a comment for just about every little event in his life.  Sometimes he would just say “wow” when he was really awestruck by something.  My friend had the opportunity to watch his son wake up in the morning and look out the window.  The boy simply whispered to himself, “Wow.”  Every day is special, and there’s no real reason to dread each new day that comes, even though we know what we may have to deal with that day.  I’m just thankful to have it.