A Day For Sam

Sam sat in front of the house and watched the morning shadows
disappear as the morning sun took its time getting out of bed. Off to
his left, a neighbor had started his car while some of the frost melted
atop the warming windshield. The brisk air clung to ears, noses, and
cheeks like a band aid on a hairy arm. Sam enjoyed it, however, and sat
back while watching the neighborhood come to life. It was Christmas
break and the kids were celebrating as if they had just busted out of
prison while the parents continued to become acquainted with the
grindstone.

Yesterday was the perfect day for Sam and he hoped that today would
produce the same results. During the late morning, several kids had
gathered and made a snowman in the yard before running off to play
elsewhere. The happiness painted on their faces, as they rolled the
snow into balls, splashed warmth into his heart as it filtered down
from his eyes and cheeks. The snowman wasn't perfect yet it provided
Sam and the neighbors a gentle reminder that joy and happiness didn't
always arrive in wrapped packages.

As the morning sun tiptoed up onto the clear, blue sky, Sam settled in
and watched the birds on the telephone wires. Motionless, they had
perched themselves towards the sun just as a desert lizard suns himself
on a rock. He sat quietly and watched as the neighborhood woke up and
the children ventured outside. A few of the boys were playing street
hockey while others went looking for the ones who were truant from
their two week holiday recess. Sam watched as a small group went in and
out of houses like the Scooby Doo gang searching for clues. Morning had
shifted to early afternoon and the smile on Sam's face had yet to
smudge.

He had watched them disappear for lunch before dispersing back outside
with fewer winter clothes tacked onto their bodies. The temperature
continued to climb as Sam began to slump and watch the kids with
curiosity. The sounds of their voices and excitement soared through the
warm air while patches of snow began to disappear from the ground. The
small, square chunks of grass sucked the moisture down to its roots
while the sun rolled over to its mid-afternoon position. Sam was
becoming tired and weary . . . it had been a long day but he refused to
stop watching the kids as their energy ignited the passion within his
soul. He continued to slump but his smile, an awkward smile, had yet to
leave his face.

With the sun racing towards the finish line in the west and a few
shadows waking from their slumber, a two of the kids came running over
towards the yard.

"Oh look! The snowman is melting." the first girl said with a somber
tone.

"I knew it wouldn't last long." the other one said.

"I hope it snows again; I like the snowman."

"It will."

They both walked away nodding their heads as a tear drop skied down
Sam's cheek. Silence had wrapped around him like a cloak as he found
himself alone once again. The children had returned to their homes and
daylight was preparing its bed. He would be back to watch them another
day . . . a day when a smile would cover his face and snow would cover
the ground.