Yesterday while walking I came upon two little boys with their mother and father in tow.  The boys were about 3 and 5 and the parents were laden with backpacks and entertainment supplies for the boys while they were out on their urban adventure.  Mother was trying to point out places of interest to the boys, but they were both fully engaged in other things.  One of the boys was watching ants scurry between the cracks of the sidewalk and the other had encountered a seeded dandelion.  The dandelion captured its admirer’s attention and filled him with rapture over its unique qualities, the seeds slowly floating away in the gentle breeze.  The younger child, distracted from his ant watching and not to be outdone, wanted one of those things, too!

Unfortunately, they were walking in one of the most well-manicured areas of the neighborhood and another dandelion was not likely to be anywhere around.  Mother and father began to hunt for dandelions and the little one began to cry.  I had walked on passed them, but continued to listen to the drama.  Several yards away from them now, I noticed a single, lonely, seeded dandelion in the crack between the lawn and the sidewalk.  I stopped and turned back to the family.  “There’s one right up here waiting for you,” I announced to the little one.  Dad thanked me and mother smiled and rolled her eyes, “Boys!” she said.

With great joy the little boy ran up to find the dandelion.  All of the sights and sounds of Washington DC meant nothing to him.  It was a single weed that was the source of his admiration.

How often do we pass by the “weeds” of life opting for the greater monuments?  It is a sobering moment to realize that everything in life is imbued with the grace of the Creator and everything – no matter how small or insignificant – is filled with wonder for someone.  Can we have the eyes of children to see all that the day holds for us?