I'll Have Joy, Excitement, and Mystery . . . to go, please.

She walks into the kitchen,
As she does numerous times per day,
And notices the dirty glass on the counter.
Eager to preserve the tidiness she strives for endlessly each day,
She reaches for soiled glass to quickly swoop into the dishwasher.

But . . .
UGH!!!!
She recoils as soon as she sees the contents of the glass:

SNAILS!!!
YUCK!!!

Deep in her throat forms the strident call to her youngest,
For surely this collection of snails has her fingerprints all over it.
Of late, Rachel has been wandering the woods in search of Spring . . .
Always searching . . . always finding
the delights of her adventurous heart.

She found something alright.

"I simply cannot endure this!" She says to herself sharply.

But then she catches sight of a sweet sentiment,
Placed in the windowsill as a steady reminder
In just such a case as this:

God Makes All Things Beautiful in His Time

Placing glass of shells near the delightful promise,
She chooses to join Rachel's game of wonder
And believe there is beauty to come,
While encouraging her to secure these treasures in a safer place . . .
(With Dad's help).



She promptly leaves the kitchen
Returning at a later (and snail-free) time.

[Thanks Dad.]

* * * * *

If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder
without any such gift from the fairies,
he needs the companionship of at least one adult
who can share it,
rediscovering with him the
joy,
excitement,
and mystery
of the world we live in.

~~ Rachel Carson ~~