Summery:
Renee Swan learns a valuable lesson from a child.
AN: I don't own anything but the computer used.
The Child by the Sea
I went for a drive down to first beach, it seems these days the only time I have anytime to myself is in the car on the way to and from dropping Emmett off at school.
As I got out of the car I took in a deep breath. With a smile I started my walk.
I spotted a little girl about she had to be about six years old playing in the sand, She was building a sand castle or something and when she looked up, her eyes as were as blue as the sea and she had the prettiest blond hair.
"Hello," she said.
I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small child.
"I'm building," she said. As she continued to look at the sand
"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring.
"Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand.!" The little girl said with a smile.
"I love to take my shoes off and have the sand between my toes, it feels funny and it makes me happy!"
That sounds good I thought, and I slipped off my shoes.
A sandpiper glided by. "That's joy," the child said.
"It's a what?" I asked confused
"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy." Oh
The bird went gliding down the beach.
"Good-bye joy," I muttered to myself, "hello pain," and turned to walk on. I was depressed; my life seemed completely out of balance. My Mother Is in the last stages of Cancer and the doctors told us that she only has a month or so to live, My son Emmett is always in trouble at school and My husband is begging me to have another baby.
"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.
"Renee," I answered. "I'm Renee Swan."
"Mine's Katie …I'm six."
"Hi, Katie."
She giggled.
"You're funny," she said.
In spite of my gloom I laughed too and walked on. Her musical giggle followed me.
"Come by again, Mrs. S," she called. "We'll have another happy day."
The days and weeks that followed belong to others: a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA meetings, an ailing mother. And getting called into the principle office because Emmett had to have a smart mouth.
The sun was shining one morning as I took my hands out of the dishwater. "I need a sandpiper," I said to myself, gathering up my coat. The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was chilly, but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.
I had forgotten about Katie and was startled when she appeared.
"Hello, Mrs. S," she said. "Do you want to play?"
"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance. Can't I enjoy a walk without someone showing up.
"I don't know, What do you think?"
"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.
The tinkling laughter burst forth again.
"I don't know what that is."
"Then let's just walk." Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.
"Where do you live?" I asked. Concerned she seems like she is always here.
"Over there." She pointed toward a row of cottages.
"Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation." She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my mind was on other things. When I left for home, Katie said it had been a happy day.
Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.
Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I was in no mood to even greet Katie. I thought I saw her mother on the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.
"Look, if you don't mind, I'd rather be alone today." I said crossly when Katie caught up with me, Then I noticed how she seemed unusually pale and out of breath.
"Why?" she asked. I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" And thought, my God, why was I saying this to a little child? Much less yelling at her.
"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."
"Yes, and so was yesterday and the day before and – oh, just go away!" Sounding more like a six year old myself.
"Did it hurt?" she asked.
"Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.
"When she died?"
"Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding, wrapped up in myself. I strode off.
A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't there. Feeling guilty, ashamed and admitting to myself I missed her, I went up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.
"Hello," I said. "I'm Renee Swan. I missed your little girl today and wondered where she was."
"Oh yes, Mrs. Swan, please come in. Katie talked about you so much. I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance, please accept my apologies."
"Not at all – she's a delightful child," I said, suddenly realizing that I meant it.
"Where is she?" I asked Curiously while looking around
"Katie died last week, Mrs. Swan. She had leukemia. she didn't tell you did she."
Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. My breath caught.
"She loved this beach; so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no. She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly…" her voice faltered. "She left something for you…if only I can find it. Could you wait a moment while I look?" I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something, anything, to say to this lovely young woman.
She handed me a smeared envelope, with Mrs. S printed in bold, childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues – a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was carefully printed:
A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to love opened wide. I took Katie's mother in my arms.
"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," I muttered over and over, and we wept together.
The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my study. Six words-one for each year of her life-that speak to me of harmony, courage, UN-demanding love. A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand – who taught me the gift of love.
Authors Note:
this story might look familiar as it is a story that I recently read this on Shareably . Net ,I did write some of Renee's thoughts and finished out the rest of some of the sentences. Oh yeah if your going to leave hate keep on browsing.