|
I will never
forget the time when 2 year old Ben stuck his hand in a cactus and held it
out for me to see. "Wook, Aunt Heidi, stickies!" he said. It took me
nearly an hour to get each little prick of the cactus out of his hand, but
he sat there so calmly, without any tears. That was nearly eleven years
ago, when I was referred to as "Nanny Niney". I had the lucky job of
caring for Ben during the day, while my sister, then a single parent,
worked full time. I was in all my glory, as I got to spend nine hours a
day with my adorable, big brown eyed, fun loving nephew. He and I became
so close, and at times, it felt as though he was
my own child.
Three years later, I got a job teaching pre-school, and that meant not
taking care of Ben anymore. It was a very sad time for the both of us, and
took quite some adjusting. Although I knew I would see him on weekends,
things were going to be different. I had a picture of the two of us, and
put it in a little frame for him. He placed it on his shelf, and it
remained there, never to be touched. Every time I went to his house,
I went in his room to look at our picture. It brought a smile to my face
each time I saw it.
Ben and I both grew up, and when he turned ten, I moved to New York. I
knew things would never be the same again between he and I, but always
felt that special bond the two of us once had. He had made a
permanent mark on my heart and soul, and that would never change.
About three months after I moved, I went home for a visit. I
went to see Ben, at his house, and went into his room, like I always did,
to peek at our picture. Only this time, the picture was gone, and I was
just devastated. Tears came to my eyes. I kept quiet about it, and assumed
it just got lost in the shuffle, or Ben just didn't want it on his shelf
any longer. A sense of emptiness came over me, and I felt very hurt.
Two years had gone by, and I still never forgot about the picture. During
a visit with my family, Ben and I sat next to each other while playing a
board game. While the others were taking their turns, Ben showed me a
little safe he had gotten for his birthday. He told me that there was a
secret password needed to get it opened, and that he only kept his most
important things inside. I asked him what was in it, and he
told me there were some baseball cards, some coins and some "other
things". He asked me if I wanted to look, and I told him yes. He opened it
up, and revealed the baseball cards, coins and something else lying
on the bottom. He lifted it out and showed me - - it was the little
picture, still in the frame, of him and me. My eyes welled up with tears
and I turned around so he could not see me cry. A total sense of spirit
came over me, and I felt so relieved to know that Ben and I never lost the
bond we once had.
Although Ben and I live 250 miles away from one another, he is with me
always. He is in my soul and spirit, and that will never change. He has
made me a better person, and I am so lucky to have him in my
life. He has taught me many life lessons over the years, and the one I
will treasure most is learning that a picture really is worth a thousand
words...and a few tears of happiness!
© 2007
Heidi Lynn
Poakeart |
