Cattail Dolls

Cattail Dolls
 

Passing by the cattail dolls hand-made by each of our children in fourth grade, I noticed the dust.  I wipe them off periodically, but as of late, they've begun to crunch.  As our oldest is 25, and our youngest 16, the six brown dolls made from cattails as an art project in elementary have reason to be so...crunchy that is.

Multiple times each day I walk by as they set a top a small dresser sandwiched between two backrooms.  Placed strategically in this location, I knew we’d be able to view them often. They are like family to me, and I’ve treasured each one.  The little group has bonded tightly but truly, after all of these years, I nearly grabbed the whole pile of loose leafed items to give them a toss!  They were getting old…too old to hang together much longer.  And frankly, I was ready to let them go.  Making way for new memories and replacing them might brighten that little corner.  So I thought...

“What do you say we toss these little cattail dolls the kids made?” I mentioned one evening to my husband as we were ready to call it a day.  “What dolls?” He asked.  I could not believe his response!  After all the years of gentle care and dusting, I thought he, like me, had appreciated the representation of each one of our six children upon the shelf.

“This is going to be easy,” I thought to myself.  I was sure he’d give me the thumbs up for cleaning house.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  After a quick explanation from me, it took him mere seconds to respond.

“We can’t toss those. Our kids made them.  I’m not tossing anything my kids made!”

My mind drifted to the boxes stored holding many an art project.  Then it wandered to the several file folders I have stashed who knows where, and last but not least, the closets full of artistic memories made by each.  He needn’t have worried…we have plenty of stuff!

However, I knew what he meant by his comment.  It was his way of saying, “I miss those days. I miss my kids.  I love my kids.  I treasure what their little hands crafted so long ago, and, I’m not ready to let go of a single thing that has a portion of their hearts upon it.”

So, upon the little corner shelve the six cattail dolls remain huddled, comforting hearts passing by.  My guess is that this is exactly how our Heavenly Father sees us.  Even though we may at times need a dusting off, He remembers what lies within, His spirit, His love, and His heart.  Psalm 103:13 states “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”  Amen.