A Ball of Dried Grass

Dear Sprout,

You are due in less than a week and we have been doing lots of things to get ready for you. Saturdays are our cleaning days. Today is an extra special Saturday because it just might be our last Saturday before your greatly anticipated arrival.

Each time I start a "Saturday Cleaning," I always start with the kitchen for some reason. I guess I am just a creature of habit. As I was cleaning the counter tops with my lemongrass eco-friendly spray, I noticed a dried clump of grass and string by the microwave. Most people would throw something like that away, but not me. Whatever that thing is, it is not just a ball of dried grass to your daddy. You see, your daddy can find something special in just about anything. I know that he is going to use my "kitchen find of the day" to create something that has, at the very least, a little bit of fantastic in it.

I don't consider your dad to be a pack-rat, rather I see him as one who has the gift of seeing beyond standard concrete definitions. In fact, in the nine and a half months that we have been married, I have discovered so many of your daddy's little finds that I purchased a special basket that fits under our coffee table to serve as his own personal treasure chest. It's exciting to see how its contents will be transformed. A scrap of lumber has been turned into a wooden spoon ... a ball of twine has become a finger woven strap for a haversack ... a pink napkin has been turned into a little love note for me to keep forever...

Americans are notorious for throwing things away. We have so much that we don't know what to do with it all; therefore, we discard. I am not saying that you should keep everything that you find, but what I am saying is that I hope you inherit at least just a bit of your daddy's gift. I hope that your eyes will not merely be eyes that glance -- rather, I hope that you have eyes that gaze and study. I hope you will have a mind that can imagine as well as see the beauty in something that most of us would consider to be trivial. Therefore, my son, feel free to collect sticks and dried leaves and pebbles and string. Know that your treasures, no matter how small, will be safe in this household. Your daddy and I are so looking forward to seeing pieces of the world from your perspective and we cannot wait to celebrate each little find with you.

Love always,
Mommy