| Prior Date | Back to Archive Index | Next Date |
|
WITandWISDOM(tm) - December 21, 2000 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: Live your life so that you don't have to hide your diary. - Robert Orben Source: The Timothy Report, Copyright (c) 2000 Swan Lake Communications, www.swanlake.twoffice.com via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: This is a first-person account from a mother about her family as they ate dinner on Christmas Day in a small restaurant many miles from their home. Nancy, the mother, relates: We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the high-chair tray. His eyes were wide with excitement and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin. He wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man with a tattered rag of a coat; dirty, greasy and worn. His pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. "Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?" Erik continued to laugh and answer, ""Hi, hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo." Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to side-step him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's pick-me-up, position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship. Erik in an act of total trust, love and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain and hard labor - gently, so gently cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms for a moment, and then his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "I will," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift." I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. - Author Unknown Submitted by: Heather Eick, George Haig, Mavis Weatherhead ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: "All I Need to Know about Life I Learned From a Snowman . . ." It's okay if you're a little bottom heavy. Hold your ground, even when the heat is on. Wearing white is always appropriate. Winter is the best of the four seasons. It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection. There's nothing better than a foul weather friend. The key to life is to be a jolly, happy soul. We're all made up of mostly water. You know you've made it when they write a song about you. Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize! Don't get too much sun. It's embarrassing when you can't look down and see your feet. It's fun to hang out in your front yard. Always put your best foot forward. There's no stopping you once you're on a roll. Source: Kitty's Daily Mews, copyright (c) 1997-2000 All rights reserved worldwide, kittysdailymews- subscribe@topica.com via http://www.witandwisdom.org ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: We were trying to teach and encourage our son to use the potty on his own. There came that wonderful day when he actually did! Oh what joy! We all engaged in dance and clapping our hands . . . we really made a big deal of it. For days to follow, we still made a big deal of it because we wanted him to keep going on his own. One day while we were eating at a restaurant, I had to go to the restroom, and David, as always, wanted to go with me. I instructed David not to touch anything! As soon as David realized I was finished, well, yes, you guessed it! He began to jump up and down and clap and proclaim, "Good job daddy! Good job! You did it! Good daddy! Wait till I tell mommy!" Well the other fellows in the restroom sure got a kick out of it! Laughter filled the air. I quickly washed my hands, grabbed my son, and with red face made my exit. Kids . . . they do the funniest things!!!! Thank God for them! By Pastor Jack Henry, Calhoun Georgia (c) Copyright 2000 ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: Greetings, neighbors, from the planet Earth. We put up the lights to cheer you! http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0011/earthlights_dmsp_big.jpg Submitted by Asa Sparks |