For the Journey


Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So today is my new favorite day. ~A.A. Milne

"You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance." ~Psalm 65:11
That's right, ladies and gentlemen . . . my ever-generous, always-spirited son participated in another give-away on the school bus last week. At least this time there wasn't any World's Finest Chocolate involved.

I was waiting near the end of the driveway, as I do everyday, for Mason's arrival. When the school bus came to a stop, the bus driver motioned me to the door. I already knew this was potentially not a good thing, but I couldn't imagine what it could possibly be this time. So Mason is making his trek off the bus, and I see one of the other students behind him. She is holding in her hand Mason's school pictures. The first thing I notice is that they are NOT in any sort of envelop or package. The second thing I notice is that one of them is MISSING.And that would be when Mason smiles at me that big ol' melt-my-heart smile and says, "Mama, I gave Mr. Lewis one of my pictures!" He was so proud. And, of course, Mr. Lewis is smiling, too. There's nothing for me to do except swallow my sigh, grab the remaining pictures and fake a smile. It's at this point I realize how really good Mason's school pictures are, and I'm aggravated at myself because I ordered only a small package. I just wasn't sure whether or not he would smile or what his hair would end up looking like (you have to understand I was having flashbacks of one of his Daddy's school pictures), not to mention the big purple Barney uniform shirt . . . but they were really good! And now I have even less pictures than I anticipated to begin with. I guess I should be thankful that only Mr. Lewis was given a picture! I mean, it's a wonder that ANY of those pictures made it home.

When I told Seth about the latest give-away, he asked Mason if Mr. Lewis got pictures from any of the other kids. Mason said he did not. Seth also asked him if Mr. Lewis specifically asked for a picture. According to Mason, he did not. So now I'm wondering . . . what exactly did Mr. Lewis do with the picture anyway? Is it taped to the inside windshield of the school bus? Is it stuck to his refrigerator? Or is it proudly displayed in a frame on the mantle next to the pictures of his grandchildren and neices and nephews?!?

Oh, and if you don't get one of Mason's kindergarten school pictures, it's because Mr. Lewis has yours!