Now that it is summer, one of my little sister Jodie's favorite things is to be outside in the sunshine. Jodie loves the sensation of warm sunshine oozing all over her little body, and she loves the brightness of it. She may not be able to talk, but she does let us know just how she feels, and she lets us know in a very concrete way just what she likes (or DOESN'T LIKE).Jodie especially enjoys being in the sunshine because it usually means freedom from her wheelchair. She gets so tired of being in her chair at times...
It had been raining for weeks, and yesterday was the first day where it DIDN'T rain. The grass is soaked, though, and it is awfully long (looks like grandpere' Armand is going to have to use the hay baler to cut the grass; it looks like HAY!!). The yard is also full of robins, who are getting fat from all of the worms playing in the dirt. And mosquitoes; the little kids' bodies are covered from head to toe with big, itchy, red welts.
Now it is partly cloudy, and the sun is out, playing peek-a-boo with the clouds, which are making a hasty retreat. They have rained themselves out, and they want to get away and go somewhere else.
I look at Jodie lying on the blanket we have on the grass, and she is giggling as a tiny red-and-black ladybug crawls along her tummy. She so enjoys life, and she so enjoys being out amongst Nature. The leafy trees and brightly-colored flowers hold such interest for her, and she loves the smell of the air, especially after a rain or after the grass has been mowed. And the bugs flitting about somehow always sends Jodie into a fresh gale of giggles. Such simple pleasures to a child who wasn't expected to amount to much of anything--more kids should be like her and take the time to enjoy what God has provided for us.
Maybe we ALL could use a "Jodie-style" break and take time to enjoy God's gifts in such a simple, but profound, way!!
I am rating this because I think it is a good, gentle story. Too many times people don't take the time to enjoy life because they are too much in a hurry, and they don't appreciate what life has to offer. God has created a lot of beautiful things, and people don't know how to appreciate them because they are too much into their personal or business lives, and that is sad.
This exceptional book, Celebrating the Gift of Being Alive, has the perfect thoughts and words for birthdays, graduations, engagements, marriages, and any life celebration or family tradition.
