LOVE IN A PAPER BAG
- Robert Fulghum
It was Molly's job to hand her father his brown paper lunch bag each morning before he headed off to work. One morning, in addition to his usual lunch bag, Molly handed him a second paper bag. This one was worn and held together with duct tape, staples, and paper clips.
"Why two bags?" her father asked.
"The other is something else," Molly answered.
"What's in it?" "Just some stuff. Take it with you."
Not wanting to hold court over the matter, he stuffed both sacks into his briefcase, kissed Molly and rushed off.
At midday, while hurriedly scarfing down his real lunch, he tore open Molly's bag and shook out the contents: two hair ribbons, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a pencil stub, a tiny sea shell, two animal crackers, a marble, a used lipstick, a small doll, two chocolate kisses, and 13 pennies.
The busy father smiled, finished eating, and swept the desk clean - into the wastebasket - leftover lunch, Molly's junk and all.
That evening, Molly ran up behind him as he read the paper. "Where's my bag?"
"What bag?"
"You know, the one I gave you this morning."
"I left it at the office. Why?"
"I forgot to put this note in it," she said. "And, besides, those are my things in the sack, Daddy, the ones I really like - I thought you might like to play with them, but now I want them back.
You didn't lose the bag, did you, Daddy?"
"Oh, no," he said, lying. "I just forgot to bring it home. I'll bring it tomorrow."
While Molly hugged her father's neck, he unfolded the note that had not made it into the sack: "I love you, Daddy." Molly had given him her treasures. All that a 7-year-old held dear. Love in a paper bag, and he missed it - not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket.
So back he went to the office. Just ahead of the night janitor, he picked up the wastebasket and poured the contents on his desk. After washing the mustard off the dinosaurs and spraying the whole thing with breath-freshener to kill the smell of onions, he carefully smoothed out the wadded ball of brown paper, put the treasures inside and carried it home gingerly, like an injured kitten.
The bag didn't look so good, but the stuff was all there and that's what counted. After dinner, he asked Molly to tell him about the stuff in the sack.
It took a long time to tell. Everything had a story or a memory or was attached to dreams and imaginary friends. Fairies had brought some of the things. He'd given her the chocolate kisses; she'd kept them for when she needed them.
"Sometimes I think of all the times in this sweet life," he mused, "when I must have missed the affection I was being given. A friend calls this 'standing knee deep in the river and dying of thirst."
We should all remember that it's not the destination that counts in life, but the JOURNEY. That journey with the people we love is all that really matters. Such a simple truth so easily forgotten.
GOOD MORNING!
And HAPPY OVER THE HUMP DAY
Too often we are ‘knee deep in the river and dying of thirst’. We tend to always be busy and not really take the time to enjoy the blessings we do have.
Just to be able to see the sun rise as we start each day is a blessing. There are those that can’t or won’t be able to do so today. I am definitely going to try harder to be more aware of those special blessings that often go unnoticed. I might just be surprised!
Thought for Today
Most of us miss out on life's big prizes. The Pulitzer. The Nobel. Oscars. Tonys. Emmys. But we're all eligible for life's small pleasures.
A pat on the back. A kiss behind the ear. A four-pound bass. A full moon. An empty parking space. A cracking fire. A great meal. A glorious sunset. Hot soup. Cold beer.
Don't fret about copping life's grand awards. Enjoy its tiny delights. There are plenty for all of us.
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May your day be blessed with a few SMILES and lots of SUNSHINE to warm your heart !
MA
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9 comments:
I LOVE this entry. Thank you so much. A great reminder first thing this morning. Hugs, Linda
I must admit the older I get, I do count them more,(blessings) and make that special effort.I invited company around today, just for one hour, to do just as you say.Make the most of what we have whilst it is here.It's not the time spent it's what love I get in company if only it be for five minutes.A blessing when one spends so much time alone.Too late when they are gone.I intend to do something like this now each day.If it's only a walk out and to meet someone and give them one of those smiles you always speak of in your journal.Thankyou for the lovely story you have provided us with this morning.I so enjoyed it.So this morning I have had smiles, company, a listening ear, and plenty good coffee was drank too.It was raining,when the company came around, but I thanked God for that too today, as I have just planted a tub of spring crocus up.The showers will now save me having to go downstairs to water them.All small blessings I am grateful of.I thank the Dear Lord for.God is good.I hope you get a few smiles today and a little sunshine to warm your heart.Take Care God Bless Kath
atoriasand http://journals.aol.co.uk/astoriasand/MYSIMPLERHYMES
you are so right
Very good entry, you gave us all something to think about today. Like stop and smell the roses. Joni
wonderful story.;-)
Touching story and sad it is so true. Reminds me of the email I got about the little boy who brought flowers for his momma while she was cooking dinner. How she scolded him and how we seem to do that to the ones that we love. :-( I am just as guilty so maybe that is why those kind of things touch my heart.
My old German Shepherd, Cherokee, has bad hips and has a really hard time walking, getting up, and laying down. When I give her a pat on the head or tell her she is a good girl she will walk with a sping in her walk (knowing that she is hurting really bad), she so wants to be normal. She has not given up and enjoys the little things. I look at her and think... I might be just like her one of these days. Have a wonderful day with laughter, smiles, sunshine, and lots of blessings, Janie
What a great story!! I received something like that from my son once. A little plastic jewelry box filled with buttons, rocks, shells, and other trinkets. I still have it!
Pam
That was lovely ,dear little Molly and what a lucky Dad ...love Jan xx
Love your thought for the day...hugs and love,
Joyce
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