In ninth grade English the students are required to read The Scarlet Ibis. In this story the narrator tells about his little brother Doodle, who has a physical handicap. He shares how it impacts their relationship, and then in the end Doodle dies. The narrator then reflects on how he treated and felt about his brother. The life lesson that it to be learned here is never take life for granted, and enjoy those special moments with your loved ones.
I thought about this short story on Saturday, when my daughter was so excited we were going to spend the afternoon together. I was rushing around all morning doing household chores, preparing for a Cross Country meet, and thinking about all the things I should be doing that afternoon, instead of shopping. I then thought about the fact that at nineteen she still wants to spend time with me, and it hurt me that she could tell I was somewhere else in thought, and that I might not have been as excited as she was about our day together. I wanted to spend time together, but I could not get my mind off all I had to do.
I then realized that this is what life is made of. It is thespecial moments that strong relationships are built on. My daughter in years to come will not remember if the house was spotless, but she will remember all the fun we had that day.I was glad that the short story was brought to my remembrance, because after that I really had a different outlook on the day, and we had so much fun. She is a great girl and there will be a day she will have a children of her own, and I want her to remember those special times so she can create them with her own children.
