honey,” a voice behind her whispered as strong arms gathered her into a hug. “I’m so very proud of you, you know.”
Ruth wiggled around in her great-aunt’s grasp and sighed happily as she cuddled up to her in the usual way. She liked making Great-Aunt Alice proud, even though she wasn’t quite sure if she’d be happy at Ruth giving away her present like that.
Great-Aunt Alice laughed. Then, as the other children busied themselves with getting ready for home or tidying up, she took Ruth by the shoulders and knelt down so Ruth could see right into her great-aunt’s face.
“Ruth, my darling,” she said. “That was a very lovely thing you did just now when you gave Lorraine the origami nun and there’s not one jot of me that’s unhappy about what you did. You’ve gained a friend and that’s the most important gift in the world. Do you understand?”
Ruth nodded.
“Good,” Great-Aunt Alice said. “There’s something else that’s important too, and that’s letting things go when the time is right for them to leave us, whether it’s our choice or not. Like the nun.”
And like my mother? Ruth wanted to ask, but of course she had no words. Not spoken ones anyway. But her great-aunt seemed to understand.
“Yes, like that,” she said. And then, like Ruth, she was silent.
For a while, Ruth’s eyes filled with tears and she let them fall as Great-Aunt Alice wiped them away. Then, when that was done, Ruth felt lighter, and a bit happier too. It was her birthday, so crying and being happy were both okay, and maybe, just maybe, her mother might be watching over her somewhere and feeling just the smallest bit proud.
“Oh, naturally, she is,” said Great-Aunt Alice and the origami nun in the same voice, and that, Ruth thought, was that.
So, she and Great-Aunt Alice and Mr. Brown waved goodbye to Lorraine and Lorraine’s new nun, and all the other children too, and they walked home. It had been a birthday to remember for ever.
Ruth wiggled around in her great-aunt’s grasp and sighed happily as she cuddled up to her in the usual way. She liked making Great-Aunt Alice proud, even though she wasn’t quite sure if she’d be happy at Ruth giving away her present like that.
Great-Aunt Alice laughed. Then, as the other children busied themselves with getting ready for home or tidying up, she took Ruth by the shoulders and knelt down so Ruth could see right into her great-aunt’s face.
“Ruth, my darling,” she said. “That was a very lovely thing you did just now when you gave Lorraine the origami nun and there’s not one jot of me that’s unhappy about what you did. You’ve gained a friend and that’s the most important gift in the world. Do you understand?”
Ruth nodded.
“Good,” Great-Aunt Alice said. “There’s something else that’s important too, and that’s letting things go when the time is right for them to leave us, whether it’s our choice or not. Like the nun.”
And like my mother? Ruth wanted to ask, but of course she had no words. Not spoken ones anyway. But her great-aunt seemed to understand.
“Yes, like that,” she said. And then, like Ruth, she was silent.
For a while, Ruth’s eyes filled with tears and she let them fall as Great-Aunt Alice wiped them away. Then, when that was done, Ruth felt lighter, and a bit happier too. It was her birthday, so crying and being happy were both okay, and maybe, just maybe, her mother might be watching over her somewhere and feeling just the smallest bit proud.
“Oh, naturally, she is,” said Great-Aunt Alice and the origami nun in the same voice, and that, Ruth thought, was that.
So, she and Great-Aunt Alice and Mr. Brown waved goodbye to Lorraine and Lorraine’s new nun, and all the other children too, and they walked home. It had been a birthday to remember for ever.
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