Five-year-old Joshua holding his new stuffed animal |
My husband said,
“We have one more gift, Joshua, and can you guess who it’s for?”
Four-year-old
Joshua pointed at his brother. “Jason.”
My husband laid
the box at Joshua’s feet. “No. It’s for you, Son.”
Joshua’s eyes
grew as large as marble shooters and just as brilliant.
“Open it, open
it,” all of us sang.
Joshua ripped
apart the candy-cane-design paper and looked inside. He sucked in his breath,
and his face softened. “Ahhh,” he said.
His daddy touched
his shoulder. “Sit down, and you can hold one.”
Joshua smothered
his face into the guinea pig fur. “He’s so cute, Mom.”
“They’re both
girls,” I said.
Much later, on a
snowy January day, Jami squealed. “Mom, Mom, come see the guinea pigs.”
I ran from my
bed-making job and stood over the box. “There are—what? Three, four, five of
them,” I gasped.
Joshua held out
his hands. “Can I hold a baby?”
“Not yet,” Jami
interrupted, “they’re too small.”
He dropped his
arms to his sides and said, “Okay.”
“That’s right,” I
said. “Let’s leave them alone. We don’t want to upset the mama.”
Joshua’s next
words made me laugh. “Do the babies drink their mama’s milk like I used to drink
your milk?”
I grinned. “Yes,
Son.”
He pursed his
lips and smiled.
My thoughts went
back to the pet store where we bought the parent guinea pigs. The clerk had
assured me they were both females. I guess he was wrong.
Holy Father, what
a wonderful memory for me to reconsider. Thank You for all the wonderful
Christmases we shared as a family. In Jesus’s holy and beloved name. Amen.
Reader Journal
~Your Mother
Memories~
~Your Prayer of
Praise~
~A Scripture of
Encouragement~
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