Goodnight Moon: The Sequel

Time: July 3, 11 p.m.

In the great, green room, there was a mother

and three small bikes

and three helmets

and red, white and blue pipe cleaners

and rolls of streamers

and blue painter's tape

and yards of red and white tulle

and a Target bag cut into strips

and the knowledge that gratitude from

a child is better when neither expected nor

demanded

and the confidence that each child will

feel (s)he decorated his own bike

and the wondering how many of these

small gifts her own mother gave, unnoticed.

Epilogue: The mother reads Judson's Story and feels, watching those sparkling eyes and then that tiny coffin through her tears, that each small opportunity to make a memory, to stay up past bedtime to produce morning delight, to give time and effort that for the time being will be taken for granted ... is a gift with no regrets.

Incidentally, the two girls won first place in the bike and trike divisions of the parade the following morning, much to my astonishment. I guess occasionally we reap a few temporal rewards as well.