January 23 – “Red”

Yesterday Cailyn and Mom had some “hang time” at the table.  Cailyn created one of her famous journal books.  She takes a handful of paper from her drawer in my desk (Yes, she has her own personal drawer with paper and pencils and pens).  Then she staples them all together on one end, forming a booklet.  And then she draws pictures or practices writing her letters or whatever else one might do with her very own journal.  This time she and her journal were sitting at the table with her MeeMaw.  She had some multi-colored markers and was diligently at work on some masterpiece of art.  And Mom was completely engrossed in the process.  

I heard Mom comment, “That’s so pretty.” 

Cailyn: “Yes, it is.”
Mom: “Oh, I like that.”
Cailyn: “What’s your favorite color, MeeMaw?”
Mom (Remember, her hearing is not so good): “Uh-huh.”
Cailyn (With a somewhat puzzled look on her face, she tries again): “What’s your favorite color, MeeMaw?”
Mom: “Yes, that’s right.”
Cailyn (After a long pause): “What’s your favorite color?”
Mom: “That’s so pretty.”
Cailyn (Instead of succumbing to frustration, she responds quite gently, recognizing the problem.  Very slowly, she enunciates each word carefully): What’s your favorite color?”
Mom: “I see that.”

And that was enough for Cailyn.  She quietly chuckled to herself, took a deep breath, and picked up the red.  Red is always nice.  And it just happens to be one of Mom's favorite colors.

Psalms 27:4 says, “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

Father, thank you for brief glimpses of your beauty in family cross-cultural interchanges.  Amen.