Grandpa All Around

Grandpa took flight before Chestnut was born.

His shamrock remains weathered and worn

Holding it tight as she soars through the sky

Wondering / her Grandpa? / where is he, and why?

Chestnut seeks and searches in earnest,

Grandpas are plenty in Lavender Forest.

Chickpea’s grandpa goes fishing at night

Tells stories and sings loud in joyful delight!

The grandpa of Chad lives far away,

So they talk on the phone and write letters each day.

Grandfather Fox helps those in need;

His strength and big heart find so many to feed.

Each evening’s a time to spend all together

They fly down the path feather to feather.

 Mommy and Daddy, what about mine?

Does my grandpa hear me?

Will he send me a sign?

Chestnut, dear daughter, to show you is best.

Let us go find the ways you are blessed.

Hello Mr. Firefly what’s the good word?

Ice cream for her... Chocolate, I heard!

Good evening to Fox, who is making his meal.

Neighbors give thanks,  to laugh and to heal.

Special letters arrive from the Grandpa of Chad

To share with his friend / Chestnut is glad.

Old Elephant gleefully launches his boat

Invites them to join / sings his glittering note.

See Chestnut, our sweet daughter divine,

Your grandfather’s heart is the sparkle and shine

In all of our love for family and friends

In the stories we tell, in the letters we send.

In the laughter we share with those in despair

In the service we give to souls needing care

There are signs all around  if we look thoughtfully

With eyes that are open and ready to see.

The path that we wander is filled with his light

It shows us the way, each day and each night.

A Tiny Flurry

Lavender Forest was an unusual place. It was a very small part of a regular sized woods, barely noticeable by people walking through. Nobody had every bothered to look closely, but if they had, they would have seen a very tiny flurry of activity.

The citizens of Lavender Forest had lived there for many generations. The heart of Lavender Forest was a purpose that united each and every one of them, their sole mission to ease the worries of the world outside the miniature evergreen wood.

As in any society, there were all different personalities. Some were very calm. Some were more nervous than others. Chickpea the elephant was one such elephant. He was a worrier, and felt nervous about many things. Chickpea was small for his age. His best friend Chad the giraffe was an average height for a giraffe in Lavender Forest.

Chad had great difficulty sitting still. He had more energy than a regular sized giraffe. He never worried about anything. However, this would not prove very helpful with his dream of one day becoming a Forest Reader.