One night the older girls went out on their in-line skates and left little Hope behind because she can’t keep up. Usually they take her almost everywhere they go so it is hard for her to be left behind. She told me about it with a little catch in her voice so I knew it was time for Dad to practice some dadness. I said; “Would you like me to take you to the park?”

She said; “Sure!” (She has the sweetest way in the world of saying “sure,” you would have to hear it for yourself).

In a few minutes we were at our lovely neighborhood park. For about a week we had been enduring record heat but the night before the temperature was dropped off and it was pretty chilly. I could tell we would not be able to stay at the park too long.

After a few minutes I said, “Hey you wanna’ call and have mom meet us at the ice cream shop?”

She said, “Sure!”

So in a few minutes we were sitting in the window of the ice cream shop watching the traffic in the village. Hope ordered an ice cream that tasted like cotton candy and looked like it was from outer space and she forgot all about being left behind.

Some day she will skate away. I won’t be able to keep up. I will be left behind. I’ll have a catch in my voice then. I hope somebody will notice and take me to the park or buy by ice cream.

Ken Pierpont
Granville Cottage
Riverview, Michigan
April 21, 2008

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