Second Birthdays

I've had one, yes, but what about second birthdays? 

When I was a little girl, this was one of my favorite books. It's about a little girl named Christina, and she lived on a farm. The only way to live, according to my little girl mind. And it's still the only way to live, according to my big girl mind, too.

Christina had a bean bag with lovely blue flowers all over it,

a jump rope with wooden handles,

and a red and white stripped rubber ball, which all looked like you could spend hours playing with and they would never, ever get old.

The book got tucked away in a baby box some years ago. But not long ago, Mama dug all our baby boxes out and we went through them on our birthdays. I found "The Store-Bought Doll" again. And we pulled it out, all us girls, and we begged mama to read it to us, just once more! And she did, with us all cuddled around, listening like children again. Being children again. For aren't grown-ups just kids who grew up?

I told Mom and the sisters with a smile on my face, "When I was a little girl, I wished I had a bean bag, and that jump rope and the red and white striped ball." They smiled back, and in the back of their wonderfully thoughtful minds, a plan formed.

My birthday came and went. And long about May, they told me they had something for me. Second birthday things. So I sat on the floor, waiting to see what they'd bring, so humbled deep down, because they thought of me. Surprised me, 'cause they all know I love surprises most of all.

And they brought me bean bags with blue flowers all over them.

A jump rope with wooden handles.

Complete with a jump roping rhyme book.

And a big red ball. Not red and white striped perhaps, but it didn't matter. That's the thing about families, some things just don't matter when you love each other.

I couldn't tell them thank you enough. My heart just felt all full. It mattered to me, and they thought they should do something about it. And they didn't just think it, they did it. 'Cause when you love someone, nothing else matters. And someday, I think I'll write a book about them. All my own. How one good family just loved and loved.