A Soft Touch

When my son was about six years old he managed to give me a memorable Mother’s Day which I still fondly recall twenty odd years later. All the other Mother’s Days before and since have been a collection of nice brunches and outings as well but that one time when he was a little guy shines above the others.

We had come home from church and also visiting with my mom for lunch at the farm. He immediately set to work and got his little kindergarten backpack and his current Grade One backpack and started to fill them up. Into each bag he thoughtfully packed a juice box, a granola bar, a small towel, a GI joe figure, a transformer, a pair of sunglasses, a hat and a small book . Zipping the bags shut he announced that we were going on a little outing in the car. Once we were in the car he directed me how to proceed and within minutes we were pulling into our local conservation area. . Parking the car we walked over to the pond to watch the ducks and Canadian geese. After enjoying ourselves by the water for about  an hour he then proceeded to unpack the bags. He had meticulously planned each and every detail and I was sweetly informed  of our agenda as we went along.  The small towel was for sitting on while we played with the transformers and GI Joe’s and Transformers. After we were played out we were then refreshed with our drink boxes of apple juice and munched on granola bars. This was followed by reading our little books together and sharing the stories. After this lovely time the books, toys and wrappings were all tucked away into the backpacks . Spreading out the little towels as best we could we then stretched out on the grass to have a little nap together.  At the end of our brief rest we gathered everything up and headed once more down to the pond to see if we could see any fish or frogs. Evening was growing dusky but it still felt warm enough to stay there for as long as we could before heading home.  The sound of the bull frogs made us giggle. We watched the fish swim  through the dark water and leap for mosquitoes until it was time to go home.

Once we got home it was time for a simple supper and his bath. After stories and songs he crawled into bed. I cleaned up the kitchen and tidied up the sticky backpacks ready for school gear the next day. I remember thinking how cute he had been masterminding this little outing and planning every detail. I had been treated well indeed but the best part was doing all these thoughtful activities together, just us, by the old pond under the big trees.  Over time I’ve told others about this special day and realize now it is a cherished memory.  Sometimes it just takes awhile for blessings  to sink in.

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