the author is unknown to me
If I Knew
If
I knew it would be the last time
that I’d see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be
the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be
the last time
I’d hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be
the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say “I love you,”
Instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be
the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I’m sure you’ll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there’s
always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
And we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.
There will always be
another day
to say “I love you,”
And certainly there’s another chance
to say our “Anything I can do?”
But just in case I
might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I’d like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is not
promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance you get
to hold your loved one tight.
So if you’re waiting
for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll surely regret the day-
That you didn’t take
that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
And you were too busy to grant someone,
What turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones
close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you’ll always hold them dear.
Take time to say “I'm
sorry,” “Please forgive me,”
“Thank you,” or “It’s okay.”
And if tomorrow never comes,
you’ll have no regrets about today.
Little Boy Blue
by Eugene Fields
The little toy dog is
covered with dust,
But sturdy and staunch he stands;
The little toy soldier is red with rust,
And his musket moulds in his hands.
Time was when the little toy dog was new,
And the soldier was passing fair;
And that was the time when our Little Boy Blue
Kissed them and put them there.
“Now don’t you go till I
come,” he said,
“And don’t you make any noise!”
So, toddling off to his trundle bed,
He dreamt of the pretty toys;
And, as he was dreaming, an angel song
Awakened our Little Boy Blue-
Oh! the years are many, the years are long,
But the little toy friends are true!
Aye, faithful to Little
Boy Blue they stand,
Each in the same old place,
Awaiting the touch of a little hand,
The
smile of a little face;
And they wonder, as waiting the long years through
In the dust of that little chair,
What has become of our Little Boy Blue,
Since he kissed them and put them there.
Red Marbles
the
author is unknown to me
Babs Miller was
bagging some early potatoes for me. I noticed a small boy, delicate of
bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of
freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to
the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and
new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the
conversation between Mr. Miller and the ragged boy next to me.
“Hello Barry, how
are you today?”
“H’lo, Mr. Miller.
Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas, sure look good.”
“They are good,
Barry. How’s your Ma?”
“Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.”
“Good. Anything I
can help you with?”
“No, Sir. Jus’
admirin’ them peas.”
“Would you like to
take some home?”
“No, Sir. Got
nuthin’ to pay for ’em with.”
“Well, what have you
to trade me for some of those peas?”
“All I got’s my
prize marble here.”
“Is that right? Let
me see it.”
“Here ’tis. She's a
dandy.”
“I can see that.
Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you
have a red one like this at home?”
“Not zackley. But
almost.”
“Tell you what. Take
this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at
that red marble.”
“Sure will. Thanks
Mr. Miller.”
Mrs. Miller, who had
been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said,
“There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in
very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas,
apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red
marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all
and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an
orange one, perhaps.”
I left the stand
smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved
to Colorado but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and
their bartering. Several years went by, each more rapid that the
previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in
that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had
died. They were having his viewing that evening and knowing my friends
wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary
we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer
whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line
were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore
nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts ... all very professional
looking.
They approached Mrs.
Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket. Each of
the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with
her and moved on to the casket.
Her misty light blue
eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and
placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each
left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes.
Our turn came to
meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and mentioned the story she had
told me about the marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand
and led me to the casket.
“Those three young
men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how
they appreciated the things Jim “traded” them. Now, at last, when Jim
could not change his mind about color or size... they came to pay their
debt.”
“We've never had a
great deal of the wealth of this world,” she confided, “but right now,
Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho.”
With loving
gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband.
Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
Moral: We will not
be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds.
Life is not measured
by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
The Young Mother
the
author is unknown to me
The young mother set
her foot on the path of life. “Is this the long way?” she asked. And
the guide said “Yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before
you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning.”
But the young mother
was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than
these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed
them, and taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike and
reminded them to feed the dog and do their homework and brush their
teeth. The sun shone on them, and the young Mother cried, “Nothing will
ever be lovelier than this.”
Then the nights came,
and the storms, and the path was sometimes dark, and the children shook
with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close
and covered them with her arms, and the children said, “Mother, we are
not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come” And the morning
came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew
weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the
children, “A little patience and we are there.”
So the children
climbed, and as they climbed they learned to weather the
storms. And with this, she gave them strength to face the world. Year
after year, she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most
of all... unconditional love. And when they reached the top they said,
“Mother, we would not have done it without you.”
The days went on, and
the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she
became little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and
walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked
up at the stars and said, “This is a better day than the last, for my
children have learned so much and are now passing these traits on to
their children.”
And when the way
became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her their
strength, just as she had given them hers. One day they came to a hill,
and beyond the hill, they could see a shining road and golden gates
flung wide.
And the mother said:
“I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better
than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride,
with their heads held high, and so can their children after them.”
And the children said,
“You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through
the gates.” And they stood and watched her as she went alone, and the
gates closed after her. And they said: “We cannot see her, but she is
with us still. A Mother like ours is more than a memory. She is a
living presence.”
Your Mother is always
with you. She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk
down the street, she’s the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers
you pick and perfume that she wore, she’s the cool hand on your brow
when you’re not feeling well, she’s your breath in the air on a cold
winter’s day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the
colors of a rainbow, she is Christmas morning.
Your Mother lives
inside your laughter. And she’s crystallized in every tear drop. A
mother shows every emotion..........happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy,
love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow.....and all
the while, hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in
life.
She’s the place you
came from, your first home, and she’s the map you follow
with every step you take. She’s your first love, your first friend,
even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time,
not space...............not even death!
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