Love You Forever

A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be.

Dad has been resting a lot. He sleeps most of the time. Sometimes he tricks us when we think he is asleep and we're talking about him and he pipes in to correct something we've said. But most of the time, he is sleeping.

Yesterday morning Dad wanted to get up. Mom helped him sit on the edge of his bed; since he doesn't have much energy anymore she had to hold him up.

She reminded Dad of a story she read on Christmas day about fifteen years ago called Love You Forever. As she rocked Dad back and forth while she held him, she said, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, [forever and ever] my [sweetheart] you'll be."

I think each one of us children have had that heartwrenching moment where we realize that our big, strong dad who once picked us up and carried us with ease is now weak and fragile. Mike never thought he would cradle him in his arms and lift him like a child, April never imagined spoon feeding him ice cream, and I never realized a day would come where I'd have to say, "where do you think you're going?" because he is too weak to get out of bed.

But I know we're all happy to be able to serve him and help him in any way we can. Because it's our turn.

Well, that mother, she got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called up her son and said, "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and sick." So her son came to see her. When he came in the door she tried to sing the song. She sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always...

But she couldn't finish because she was too old and sick. The son went to his mother. He picked her up and rocked her back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And he sang this song:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my Mommy you'll be.