When I was young I used to think how lovely it must be to be a bird. To have wings to take you wherever you want to go, to soar the skies, fly away from your woes, seeking happiness in far off places. As I grew older I began to feel sorry for birds when a storm was brewing. Would the birds be able to seek shelter from the storm? What about the baby birds, would they be able to survive the cold and the rain? To this day I love to hear the chirping of the birds in the early morning. The joyful optimism they have as they take each day as it comes. I now know that birds face hardships too. I am not a bird, but I too, can be free.
Watching my footprints being washed away as I walked along the shore was a stark reminder that life is but a fleeting moment. Love each other for our similarities. Acknowledge and respect our differences. Appreciate each and every individual for the multitude of colours they bring into your life. Time is too short to cling to worries, to hide behind fears, to harbour hatred. Instead, make the most of our time enveloped in the pleasantries of friendship and the warmth of love. We never know when we will leave our last footprint in the sand.
I can imagine the delight in your eyes, the joy in your smile if you were in our presence now. To see the two young boys who brought sunshine to your rainy days, the grown men that they are today. I know you would have been proud. I can imagine your sorrows vanquished as I hear you calling out the name of your great grandchild as you hold him so lovingly in your arms, cherishing every tender moment. Times that I know you treasure is when thoughts of you cross my mind; thoughts filled with both sadness and longing. I am sorry. I failed to see you needed me as much as I needed you.