Sunday, January 9, 2011

We've Got Things To Do

On a cold, blustery, December day Ruth and I tossed her bright purple suitcases into the back of the car and started driving towards an airport in Panama City.  We passed through towns, over bridges and drove side by side mile upon mile of white sand beach and turquoise ocean.  I told Ruth the ocean was extremely beautiful that day (because it was) and she looked up from her book, glanced out the window, and concurred.

Then she sighed one of those big sighs (the sort where you know there was no air left in her tiny body when she'd finished) and she said, "I wish we didn't have to be somewhere today because I'd tell you to pull this car over right now and take me to that beach so we could sit in the sand in our ordinary clothes and watch those waves.  I mean...why live at the ocean if you're never going to take a day to sit there and enjoy it?"

I, of course, completely agreed.

And I really wished we didn't have to be somewhere.

But we did.

So I told her one of these days we would go to the beach in our ordinary clothes and watch the waves.

Then I leaned forward, messed with the radio a bit, and kept driving.

Ruth closed her book and gently laid it across her lap.  Then she said, "Will you hand me your journal and an ink pen?  I need to write something down so I don't forget."

When she was finished, this is what I had...


... all the things I nonchalantly tell her "Sure, we can do that" but she apparently believes we'll never do.  She handed my journal back to me and explained, " I made sure I opened your book to the middle and wrote all the way across so you can find it without looking.  Everything we're supposed to do is written and I left room for anything else we think of.  I even marked the spot!"

Have I mentioned how much Ruth walks and talks and acts like me?

(well...anyway...)

(I think half the pages in the last two journals are hers)

This year I've decided to pay more attention to the details because...

well...

isn't that the good stuff?

So, if Ruth wants to sit in the sand with her clothes on and stare at the ocean, I think we ought to sit in the sand with our clothes on and stare at the ocean.



And Sunday, that's exactly what we did.

Love,
me

3 comments:

Lindsey Roberts said...

Awww, I love this!!! :)

wendlyn said...

I wish I could have joined her...that is my favorite thing in the world to do.

Big Mama Cass said...

You are such a lucky Mom!! She is perfect :)