New Beginning

(Hope everyone has a safe and merry Christmas)

The Old Man sat in a lawn chair intently observing his 2½-year-old great-grandson explore the mysteries of their backyard. Spring had finally blossomed, and both plants and animals were emerging after a long and unusually harsh winter. He had seen many such transformations in his long life, but this one felt particularly significant for some inexplicable reason.

His reverie was interrupted by a squeal of excitement as a butterfly fluttered erratically around the young boy’s head. The man watched as the boy leaped and spun in circles, vainly attempting to capture the colorful creature. All the spinning and jumping caused the lad to lose his balance and plop down on his bottom, only to discover a new wonder.

The brown tubular creature stretched and shrunk its way across the boundary between lawn and flower garden, searching for a soft patch of dirt to re-enter the earth. When the boy reached out and touched the worm, it lashed back and forth in an attempt to fend off a potential predator. Stunned by the worm’s reaction to his touch, the 2-year-old rapidly withdrew his hand and uttered a cry of disapproval as the worm sought refuge under some dried leaves.

A robin swooped down from a nearby tree and landed on a branch close to this young intruder. The bird’s movement caught the boy’s attention. Forgetting all about the worm, he fixated on the bird. Clumsily boosting himself up, the toddler ran toward the bird. The robin reacted as birds do and launched itself into the air abandoning the yard for now. The boy ran after it, frantically flapping his arms in a futile attempt to fly after the feathered creature.

The great grandfather studied each encounter the boy had and longed for the ability to experience the world through his grandson’s eyes. He tried in vain to remember the first time he had seen a bird or a worm, but those memories were shrouded in the mist of time. Now, the best he could hope for was to watch as his great-grandson discovered the world around him for the first time. A simple backyard held unlimited discoveries and adventures for the boy, but what about him?

He went back to watching his great-grandson and, it occurred to him that he may not be able to read the boy’s mind, but he could share the experience none the less. The Old-Man rose from his chair. He walked to the edge of the yard, where his great-grandson was mesmerized by a spider weaving its web.

“What’s he making, Grampy?”

“It’s called a web, Alan.”

Once again, life’s journey finishes and starts at the same point.