One of my e-mail friends sent this to me today and I just had to put it here for my cyber friends to read.
The Sandpiper
by Robert Peterson
She was six years old when I first met her on the beach near where I
live. I drive to this beach, a distance of three or four miles,
whenever the world begins to close in on me. She was building a sand
castle or something and looked up, her eyes as blue as the sea.
"Hello," she said.
I answered with a nod, not really in the mood to bother with a small
child.
"I'm building," she said.
"I see that. What is it?" I asked, not really caring.
"Oh, I don't know, I just like the feel of sand."
That sounds good, I thought, and slipped off my shoes.
A sandpiper glided by.
"That's a joy," the child said.
"It's a what?"
"It's a joy. My mama says sandpipers come to bring us joy."
The bird went gliding down the beach. Good-bye joy, I muttered to
myself, hello pain, and turned to walk on. I was depressed, my life
seemed completely out of balance.
"What's your name?" She wouldn't give up.
"Robert," I answered. "I'm Robert Peterson."
"Mine's Wendy... I'm six."
"Hi, Wendy."
She giggled. "You're funny," she said.
In spite of my gloom, I laughed too and walked on.
Her musical giggle followed me.
"Come again, Mr. P," she called. "We'll have another happy day."
The next few days consisted of a group of unruly Boy Scouts, PTA
meetings, and an ailing mother. The sun was shining one morning as I
took my hands out of the dishwater. I need a sandpiper, I said to
myself, gathering up my coat.
The ever-changing balm of the seashore awaited me. The breeze was
chilly but I strode along, trying to recapture the serenity I needed.
"Hello, Mr. P," she said. "Do you want to play?"
"What did you have in mind?" I asked, with a twinge of annoyance.
"I don't know. You say."
"How about charades?" I asked sarcastically.
The tinkling laughter burst forth again. "I don't know what that
is."
"Then let's just walk."
Looking at her, I noticed the delicate fairness of her face.
"Where do you live?" I asked.
"Over there." She pointed toward a row of summer cottages.
Strange, I thought, in winter.
"Where do you go to school?"
"I don't go to school. Mommy says we're on vacation."
She chattered little girl talk as we strolled up the beach, but my
mind was on other things. When I left for home, Wendy said it had
been a happy day.
Feeling surprisingly better, I smiled at her and agreed.
Three weeks later, I rushed to my beach in a state of near panic. I
was in no mood to even greet Wendy. I thought I saw her mother on
the porch and felt like demanding she keep her child at home.
"Look, if you don't mind," I said crossly when Wendy caught up with
me, "I'd rather be alone today." She seemed unusually pale and out
of breath.
"Why?" she asked.
I turned to her and shouted, "Because my mother died!" and thought,
my God, why was I saying this to a little child?
"Oh," she said quietly, "then this is a bad day."
"Yes," I said, "and yesterday and the day before and -- oh, go away!"
"Did it hurt?" she inquired.
" Did what hurt?" I was exasperated with her, with myself.
"When she died?"
"Of course it hurt!" I snapped, misunderstanding,
wrapped up in myself. I strode off.
A month or so after that, when I next went to the beach, she wasn't
there.
Feeling guilty, ashamed, and admitting to myself I missed her, I went
up to the cottage after my walk and knocked at the door. A drawn
looking young woman with honey-colored hair opened the door.
"Hello," I said, "I'm Robert Peterson. I missed your little girl
today and wondered where she was."
"Oh yes, Mr. Peterson, please come in. Wendy spoke of you so much.
I'm afraid I allowed her to bother you. If she was a nuisance,
please, accept my apologies."
"Not at all -- she's a delightful child." I said, suddenly realizing
that I meant what I had just said.
"Wendy died last week, Mr. Peterson. She had leukemia.
Maybe she didn't tell you."
Struck dumb, I groped for a chair. I had to catch my breath.
"She loved this beach, so when she asked to come, we couldn't say no.
She seemed so much better here and had a lot of what she called happy
days. But the last few weeks, she declined rapidly..." Her voice
faltered, "She left something for you, if only I can find it. Could
you wait a moment while I look?"
I nodded stupidly, my mind racing for something to say to this lovely
young woman. She handed me a smeared envelope with "MR. P" printed
in bold childish letters. Inside was a drawing in bright crayon hues
-- a yellow beach, a blue sea, and a brown bird. Underneath was
carefully printed:
A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and a heart that had almost forgotten to
love opened wide. I took Wendy's mother in my arms. "I'm so sorry,
I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," I uttered over and over, and we wept
together. The precious little picture is framed now and hangs in my
study.
Six words -- one for each year of her life -- that speak to me of
harmony, courage, and undemanding love.
A gift from a child with sea blue eyes and hair the color of sand
-- who taught me the gift of love.
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