ONE PRECIOUS MOMENT

 

“There are two ways to watch a sunset.” The old man told us

as we stood together in the cool of an evening breeze.

“Standing up is one.” He said. Then he got down on his hands and knees.

“I use to take my granddaughter to the beach to watch the sunset

One day as she was standing next to me 

she said, “PopPop pick me up…pick me up so I can see.”

“What do you mean so you can see.” I asked…I admit I was a little stunned.

She said as only a child can, “I want to be closer to the sun!”

“You’re so tall and I’m so short.” She said.“It really seems unfair.   

I know what the sunset looks like from down here…I want to see it from up there.”

“Immediately I put her on my shoulders…brought her up to a higher place

And from there I could feel the warmth of the smile on her face.”

“I could feel her excitement as she looked left, right…all around.”

She said, ‘the view is so much different here than it was down on the ground.’”

“We stood there for a while with our eyes focused straight ahead…

until I looked up at my granddaughter…You know…this really seems fair…I said.” 

“You’ve seen what the sunset looks like from up here…but suddenly I’m aware

I don’t know what it looks like from where you were…down there.”

So I slowly lowered her from my shoulders…and together we sat upon the ground

I’m sure she cold feel my excitement as I looked left, right…all around.

And that is how we watched sunset…it all began with one precious moment never planned.

She upon my shoulders and me joining her upon the sand.

“My granddaughter is all grown up now…in fact she’s even taller than me…

but that one precious moment we shared is etched in my memory…

So if you ever happen on an old man at the beach 

and the unorthodox way he watches the sunset…

we hope you’ll understand..

Why half the time he’s standing up 

and the other half…he’s sitting in the sand.