October 19 – “Just ‘ball’”

Cailyn and Chris played ball yesterday.  I was working on the computer, so I wasn’t aware of the fun until Cailyn came in and asked me to play.  Wanting simply to be sure of what I was getting into, I asked a question, “Is it baseball or basketball or football?”  Quite reasonable, wouldn’t you say?  I’m sure any of my other grandchildren (all boys, by the way) would have had an answer for it.  After all, it’s just multiple choice, isn’t it?  Apparently that wasn’t enough for the girls.  They both just responded with an abrupt “tsk,” a flip of the hair and, “No, DadDad.  It’s just ‘ball.’”  The light bulb finally started to glow faintly in my head as I allowed myself to be torn away from the persistent demands of computer work.  I started a reply, “You mean …” and Cailyn impatiently interrupted, “We need you to be the prince, DadDad.”  Ah, I finally got it.  They meant the kind of ball where you dance.  My knees ached at the thought of dancing.  My elbows just ached.  That’s become their routine lately.  But I really did want to be a prince.  Who doesn’t?  I assured her that I would hurry with my work, so she went back to whatever ballroom the two of them had concocted in the bedroom or in their minds.  And as I struggled to quickly finish up my task at hand, I caught a glimpse of motion out of the corner of my eye.  Leaning back as far as I could go in my chair, I finally focused on the flowing, graceful sway of movement as Cailyn, lost in the delight of a world of fantasy in which she heard music of her own composition, danced delightedly with Corner, the stuffed animal dog that had been her Daddy’s companion when he was a youngster. Sadly, I sighed.  And the rebuffed Potential Prince returned to the keyboard with only his dreams of what could have been. 

Psalms 34:9-10 says, “Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.  The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

Father, bless our little princess and all our little princes with their hearts’ desires as they grow to know and trust you.  Amen.