waterfall

"Aunt Susan, can we go see the waterfall?"

What waterfall???

The waterfall that I had walked past time and time again in my haste to get to my dad's hospital room.

The oasis of beauty tucked between parking garage and revolving door.

Four-year old Noah didn't miss a thing. He's smart and observant that way, my tow-headed little nephew.

Off we went to adventure, through the lobby and past the strangely not-hot fireplace and the mysteriously playing-itself piano, through the s-l-o-o-o-w revolving door and across the first street, his small hand in mine as we crossed after checking for cars.

There it was! A series of small, rock-bottomed pools with a stepped waterfall between. Breath-catching wonder of swimming koi, silvery grey daddy and glorious orange-gold mommy (we assigned those roles), with plenty of smaller koi darting between.  Sound of splashing water, tiny bugs darting across the still portion of the pool where the koi hovered below the surface.

We crouched on the rocks at the edge of the pool. The daddy koi belched water at us and eyed us suspiciously. We picked up a leaf floating near the pond edge and when Noah tossed it, the koi family darted toward it, perhaps expecting dinner.

Noah brought me into his childhood, a place of exploration and wonder and timelessness. In those moments, I forgot the stress and sadness I feel about my dad's illness. In those moments, God renewed my soul.

May I see the world through child-like eyes and experience child-like faith.