Innocence

One time late at night, I headed to a fast food place to grab some dinner. As I stepped in, I realized that the waitress gave me a grumpy face as they were about to close. I didn’t really care for I was starving to death and I knew it wouldn’t take me that long to get done with my meal. So I ordered my food and sat down on a table to have my meal. Being the only customer in the place, they didn’t really care about me and the waitress in charge started to clean up the place, with the grumpy look still on her face. Then all of a sudden, a smiley face appeared in the place. A girl of six stood in front of me, with her white floral shirt and pink pants, holding a wet towel in her hand. As I looked at her, she gave me a bigger smile and with all her strength started cleaning some of the tables. So dedicated in doing it, she was. So full of energy, although her shyness that I might be watching her. I turned my face away from where she was, pretending not to look. Once she was sure that I was watching her no more, her shyness and intimidation were gone. Slowly she fully regained her confidence and started to talk to her imaginary friends about how she’d make those tables the most shinny in the place. So attentive she was to accomplish her task. Once she was done, she looked at the tables with the pride Michelangelo probably had when he was done painting the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel. Then she turned to her grumpy mother and told her to see what she had accomplished. With little attention, the mother gave to her, she moved to the next set of tables and started again so attentively to clean them. When she was done, she turned to me and gave me another smile and although I could see the shyness trying to prevent her, yet she said, “Oh, these tables are wet because I was cleaning them, so take care and don’t sit on them.” I smiled back and told her not to worry and added that she did a good job. So excited, yet so shy, she gave me half a laugh and then turned her back and went on ahead with her new assignment. I followed her with my eyes and thought that if I’m only given one thing to pray for, I will pray for the innocence, the innocence of a child.

Passing the good along...

(Dedicated to the best I have ever known, Mom and Dad)

When I was one, I was a helpless little creature that required someone to feed her, dress her and put her to bed.
At that time they were there, took every possible care and dedicated every moment of their time for me.

When I was five, it was time for me to go to school. So intimidated by the new environment I was.
They were there for me, encouraging me and telling me that it is there in school where I will learn my ABC.

When I was thirteen, I started to rebel, thinking that I know everything and feeling home was where I would suffocate.
So patient, they were there for me, not ever losing their temper and telling me how ignorant I was.

Then I became eighteen, ready to start college and so excited about a new world of freedom and independence.
They were there for me giving me their experience, love and support without trying to influence my character or who I was becoming to be.

Then I turned twenty five, so overwhelmed by the real world as it was time for all the big decisions to be made.
They were there for me, believing in my judgment and supporting every decision I make.

Then I close my eyes and see the future, when I am thirty, again overwhelmed with a responsibility of a marriage and children, wondering if I will ever be able to make a good parent.
I see them there, with their hands on my shoulder, telling me that I am doing fine.

Then I become forty two, driven crazy with teenage children that are always against everything I tell them.
I see them there, telling me to have patience and reminding me how things used to be with me.

Then ten years pass and I am fifty five, with my children have grown up and are now ready to make their own decisions.
I see them there, with a lovely smile telling me not to worry because I have done a good job and raised them fine. Then they laugh and say, “My little child, the world will repeat itself and the good our parents had done, we have passed along to you and you to your children. Now it’s your turn to tell them to pass it to theirs.”

Then I see myself, seventy years of age, and I see my children passing through it all, with children of their own, and the fear that they wouldn’t do it as well as I did. So I smile and hold their hands and tell them what my parents told me before. Then I think how extremely right they were and that it’s only through love, support and care that it is possible for us, the human kind, to survive.

Lost and found

I lost a friend and I don’t know why
What happened? What went wrong?
Was it something I did or said?
Or something I should have done?
I asked the question with no answer to come
Only endless silence I heard and it wasn’t fun.
So much pain, it does cause,
To see a friend go away so fast,
After all what we’ve shared together,
After all what we’ve been through,
So hard to imagine my life without
The support and love of my friend.
I prayed so hard day after day,
That someday, he’d come back,
Forgetting about whatever happened or didn’t happen,
And just allowing me from the beginning to start.
But time passed by and he never showed up,
And slowly he became a memory that only in my head resided.
Then one day the phone rang.
I picked up and said hello.
To my deep surprise, I heard his voice from the other side saying hi.
I couldn’t speak for a moment, I couldn’t say a word.
Was it really him after all these years?!
He asked me how I was and how my life has been.
I answered back and to my surprise his questions kept going on,
With a little joke or a laugh in between.
Then he said he had to go,
But he promised he’d call again,
And insisted we should meet at some point
To revive all those memories of an old friendship,
And suggested having a trip with all of our friends,
Saying that such a thing would be of so much fun.
As he hang up, I kept holding the phone,
Wondering if it was really him.
What happened? What made him come back?!
I haven’t seen him in years so it couldn’t be something I have done.
Then I thought may be it was my prayers. They were answered at last.
So I went on my knees and thanked The Lord,
For now life seems to have a taste,
Now I can really have fun,
As I have once lost my friend but now he is found.