A Small Bit of Wonder

Yesterday found us back at my favorite earthly place, the lower area of San Dieguito County Park. As we strolled in from the street, we were greeted with the refreshing sound of water from the fountains in the duck ponds. We stumbled over the rocky bridge, through the split rail fence-lined driveway, under an endless variety of mature trees, up onto dark, clover filled grass.

This particular day the little white gazebo charmed me up to the top of the hill -- no small feat with two dawdling children in tow. In fact, Big Bro was so slow, and Little Bro so heavy, that I lugged my baby up fairly quickly, leaving the little man to wander over to us at his own pace.

While mother and baby sat and marveled at the fat black bumblebees gorging themselves on lavender nectar, Big Bro plopped himself down under a tree a ways down the hill. Soon there was yelling, and more yelling -- all indistinguishable except for many encores of "MOM!" and after a minute I went down to oblige him.

"I found dew-drops!" The few, tiny droplets left on the grass still shaded from the glowing sun had made such an impression that he needed to share its beauty. A week or so before, I had pointed out some dew to him. And I believe that in large part, his recent acquisition of the name of what he saw not only helped him to notice it, but made the sight all the more exciting.