Last night… I hung out with family. After dinner, we went outside and sat around in lawn chairs talking. It was a beautiful evening.
I spent time playing with my two little nieces – they’re two and four years old. I tried teaching them how to blow a piece of grass between their thumbs and make it whistle. Imitating me, they would stick a piece of grass in their mouths, puff out their little cheeks, but no sounds would come! Yet they squealed in laughter anyways…
Getting tired, I lay down in the cool grass near my brothers, listening to them chatter away… they were discussing running: comparing best track and cross-country times; in short, practicing the fine art of reminiscing.
Seeing someone down on their level, my nieces raced inside, returning with little pillows and blankets so they could join me. Watching and contemplating the blue sky and faintly visible hazy silver moon didn’t last long though, soon the three of us were playing “steal the pillow,” a new game I didn’t even know existed! As part of the game, my two year old niece took special delight in running up and jumping on me. I guess that must have been one of the ways to “win,” but I’m not sure.
At one point, when they were settled down and quiet, little Kailee looked at me and said, so innocently, “Uncle Nacky?”
“What, Kailee?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Kailee.”
That four year old red-haired bundle of life and dimpley smiles can get her “Uncle Nacky” choked up. And make him feel special.
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…the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.” (Matthew 18:1-5)