THE OTHER DAY, I was walking up stairs when a medium sized spider drifted down a web inches from my face quite startling me. With a reflex action, I grabbed my shoe and ended his life. Immediately I envisioned the gentle spider made famous in Charlotte's Web and felt something like remorse.
It was then I heard my son's “boy voice” saying accusingly, "Mom why did you kill him?" Then I heard myself hemming and hawing and saying, "Er -- um. He—a-- frightened me. He is so ugly." And I heard the same boy voice inquiring with incredulity, "You mean you would kill him just because he is ugly?"
This afternoon I was sorting through some old letters my Mom had written to me years ago when I was a new mother. My attention was drawn to several lines underscored in red. I must have thought them significant at the time and underlined them when I saved the letter.
My mother wrote: “You mentioned hearing Bethie’s little voice singing and chattering even when she is asleep. Darling daughter! You will never cease hearing your children’s ‘childhood voices’ as long as you live.’ ”
How true my wise mother’s prediction! I wonder if children hear the echo of their parent’s voices down through the years as often as do the parents the voices of their innocent beloved children.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I agree. As mother's, our children’s voices seem to enter our thoughts unexpectedly, like finding a sand dollar as you walk the beach, a rare treasure. I wonder. . . how 'eternal' are words? They can be captured in print, but the power of them is lasting. "My words are spirit and they are life". (Jn6:63)Not only do our children's words touch our hearts and leave lingering fingerprints and footprints all over our hearts, but so do the voices of our dearest friends and loved ones. Words . . .a rich treasure . . an ache in our heart. .a joy to meditate upon. .a deep longing. . .
Post a Comment