I was munching a hamburger at McDonald’s.
She was building a house with Legos,
A beautiful little house of many colors.
A precocious child, thoughful, gentle, careful.
Proud of her work.
In deep concentration, planning each addition.
Then it happened, when all was going well,
She came upon a problem.
One piece did not fit.
This rebellious Legos stopped all construction.
Any additional piece would not hold in place.
No matter how hard she pushed,
Or how she placed any new section,
The house began to fall apart.
The little girl began to fall apart!
All at once, stamping her foot,
She flung three Legos across the room!
Angry and hurt, she stared at her house of clay!
Tears welled up in her eyes as anger
Melted into frustration and inner pain.
Finally, in utter despair,
She quickly turned and ran to her mother.
Too far for me to hear her words,
I watched in rapt attention.
Her mother lifted the little girl to her lap
And wrapped loving arms around her.
That sweet, intelligent, but needy child
Rested her head against her mother’s breast.
There she found inner peace.
There she found security.
Love healed a wounded child.
(November 1999)