Trust Me On This One

I saw this amzing phenomenon again this morning. Brought back to mind this oldie. There it is. Standing there so straight, tall and proud. Right in the middle of a newly mown lawn. You've seen it too. That one, lone dandylion. And it's not a new dandylion...it's an old, geezer dandylion. It's white, fuzzy head about to send its seeds to frustrate lawn manacurers for miles around. Now we've all seen that dandylion and I'm sure we've all wondered, albiet briefly, how in the world did the lawn mower miss that guy? Well, I think I've figured it out. I believe it's an amazing Darwinian mutation happening right before our very lawn mowers. A Natural Selection that probably began happening thousands of years ago when Neaderthal first began mowing his lawn. Maybe it's the sound of the mower engine...or the vibration...or the whoosh of the mower blade that warns them. Whatever it is, just before that blade takes its little dandylion head off...it ducks. That's right my friend. Dandylions can duck. How else can you possibly explain that one, tall, proud, geezer dandylion sticking its fuzzy head up in the middle of a newly mown lawn? Oh yeah...Dandylions can duck. Trust me.

A Well Written Page

His eyes were still a bright blue. Curious eyes…but tired eyes. Eyes that have opened wide in wonder, looked on with great pride, searched for many an answer and wept in heartbroken sorrow. Eyes that have in younger days winked at more than one pretty young girl and in later years given looks that have discouraged more than one young child from committing any further mischief. His face was tanned and deeply lined from thousands of sunny days, smiles and the worries that only a father knows and quietly bears. Laugh lines from more good times than he can remember…crow’s feet from searching so many dark nights to catch a glimpse of a child getting home safely…a furrowed brow from years of wondering why…and how…and what really was the right thing do? And did he do it? There’s a line from a song that was written back in the 1800’s called “Maggie”. It says, “My face is a well written page Maggie, and time alone was the pen”. I can only hope that when the time comes, my page reads well.

I Asked For Your Hand

I asked for your hand...you gave me so much more. I asked for your hand, you gave me your opinion. Something I’ve found most valuable...most of the time. I asked for your hand, you gave me your curiosity. Sometimes a very “curious” curiosity I must say. I asked for your hand, you gave me your common sense. Most uncommon these days. I asked for your hand, you gave me your dreams. I know I’ve let you down on more than one of those. I asked for your hand, you gave me your trust. You gave me your faith. You gave me your...well...we’ll talk about those later. You gave me the chance to be the father to your children and the Grandpa to your grandkids. I owe a big thank you there. I asked for your hand, you gave me my best friend...my hope...my strength...my rock. You gave me the chance to be loved and the once in a lifetime opportunity to love you. I asked for your hand...you gave me so much more. I asked for your hand...you gave me your life.