Pink, yellow and blue

Here's kind of a poignant one from Beth that I've been meaning to share with all of you for several days now. There's a lot of truth in it. Here goes ... ...


I bumped into a stranger as he passed by.
"Oh, excuse me!" was my reply.

He said, "Please excuse me, too!
I wasn't watching out for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our separate ways after saying goodbye.


But at home a different story is told,
About how we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, while I was cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me -- very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way!" I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.


Later that night, while I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"When dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
But the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go and look on the kitchen floor.
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself ... pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly, so as not to spoil the surprise.
You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."


By this time I felt very small
And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed.
"Wake up, little one, wake up!" I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled. "I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."


I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today.
I never should have yelled at you that way."

He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you, anyway!"

I said, "Son, I love you, too,
And I do like the flowers, especially the blue."