"…9…10! Ready or not here I come," I yelled as I opened my eyes and began searching for my three year-old son. It was days like these that I relished. A cool, October afternoon… just having fun with my son. Johnny was full of life. I loved nothing else in the world quite like him. There was so much excitement and wonder in those light blue eyes of his. I couldn't have been more blessed. There was so much to be thankful for.

I searched through the den and near the bushes on the fence trying to find him. "Now where could my little Johnny have gone?" I called, trying to get some kind of movement that would give him away. Then I spotted some movement near a plant on the patio. I slowly crept up the plant saying, "Could he be right here?" And I pounced to the back of the plant to find nothing. Then I heard a scream from behind me and there was Johnny, tiny hands trying to wrap around my legs and tackle me to the ground. I played along and fell down to ground, letting out pretend screams of pain as I hit the tile floor. "Ah, you got me again, Johnny boy! You're getting too good at this."

Johnny gave out a laugh of triumph.

"But I'm gonna get you back," I added and started tickling him and he giggled as he madly tried to get away. I let him go and we both laughed a little bit longer and then a voice called from inside the house.

"Herb?" Vera called from inside.

"Yeah, sweetheart," I answered.

"Gene called. He wants you to call him back later."

"Will do."

My wife went back inside and I turned my attention back to Johnny. "Come here, champ." He took a couple of steps toward me and I picked him upand started spinning around. Little Johnny always loved that. I spun him around about five times before I stopped. With him still in my arms I staggered towards the hammock, still dizzy from the spinning.

I lay on the hammock, little Johnny in my arms and everything became still. It was peaceful. I could never remember another time where I've felt so at peace. The autumn breeze brushing against our faces and the now golden sun bathing us in sunshine. We both looked up at the amazingly blue sky. I've never seen such a beautiful sky. The wispy, powder whiteclouds rolled on slowly by.

As I felt Johnny's heart beating against mine, a wave of happiness and content washed over me. I thank God everyday for this gift He has given to Vera and me. These are the kinds of moments I thank Him for. I wish this moment could last forever. I knew only too well that he would grow up too fast. Soon he will become too big to carry, too old to play games, become too independent. As I ran my fingers through his blond hairI prayed to God that he would make the right choices and decisions. Grow up to become the man that would make his mother and me proud.

Deep in the pit of my heart though, I know. It's an odd feeling, but I somehow know he is destined for great things. I feel it. I can see it in Johnny's deep blue eyes every time I look in them. I just hope that I can be there to show him the way. To lend him a helping hand and be able to do the things that I used to do with my dad. But even if I'm not there, God will be.

I can't shake that feeling that something great is waiting for him at the end of the tunnel. Something great is waiting for him, something big. I just can't put my finger on it. And as I saw the golden sun hovering just above the distant horizon, I realized that I need to just relax and concentrate on here… now. The future would come; there was no doubt about that. There's nothing I can do to stop it from coming.

But right now it's just me and my son, laying back in a hammock on an coolautumn day. Nothing else in the world mattered. Why should I worry about a future that's years away? I need to enjoy and relishthe precious time I have with my son that will soon disappear before I know it's even gone. Right now we have all the time we need. All the time we would ever need.The future can wait…