A SANDPIPER TO BRING YOU JOY...

       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 sandcastle 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 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 days and weeks that followed belonged to others: 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. I had
forgotten the child and was startled when she appeared.

"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 seems 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 of 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 muttered 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.


NOTE: This is a true story sent out by Robert Peterson.
It serves as a reminder to all of us that we need to take time to enjoy
living and life and each other. "The price of hating other human beings is
loving oneself less."  Life is so complicated, the hustle and bustle of
everyday traumas can make us lose focus about what is truly important or
what is only a monetary setback or crisis. This weekend, be sure to give
your loved ones an extra hug, and by all means, take a moment.......even if
it is only ten seconds, to stop and smell the roses.

This comes from someone's heart, and has been shared with many and now I
share it with you. May God Bless everyone that receives this!

There are NO coincidences! Everything that happens to us happens for a
reason. Never brush aside anyone as insignificant. Who knows what they can
teach us?

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