Letter to Courtney Pointer when she was about 3 yrs old. Just found it, been saving it to give her. She is now nearly 13.
Well, Jesse and Mikey are gone now. They have been replaced by Maggie on one side of Papa and Nana, and Toby and Holly on the other side. Maggie's owner let you run all over the backyard while she dragged you giggling at the other end of ther leash. You always have to remind me which of the other neighbor dogs is Holly and which one is Toby. You say, "Holly is a girl." You still have to place your hands through the fence while they lick your fingers and they lie against the chain link obstacle yearning to come over and play. You say "Hey baby" and "night night" to them. You are not afraid of anything. We catch lightnin' bugs and you want to hold them and let them crawl on your arm. You probably would hold a snake but we made the mistake of telling you (and transferring our own fears to you) that they were bad. I tried to correct that , but I didn't want you endangered. I am glad you're trusting and I want you to experience all of the world's wonders - the safe ones anyway.I met you and Papa and Nana at McDonald's Sunday for lunch. It wasn't our idea of a Sunday dinner but that's what you wanted and that's certainly good enough for us. You always grin with your eyes whenever you see me and if you're not trapped in a restaurant booth, etc. you usually run to me and hug me - this is the highlight of my LIFE. This day you were at the table eating your McNuggets so I went behind you and kissed you on the forehead as you looked at me upside down. You in that yellow checked dress, white frilly socks, and patent leather shoes - a burst of sunshine you are to me. After we ate you did come to me and I enjoyed that small but redeeming walk to the car.I decided to brave the 100 degrees and bloated belly and follow y'all back to Nana and Papa's to read the paper while you played in your new pool, but as usual you enlisted me as your playmate. Whether we're playing basketball, chasing each other, looking for dinosaurs, or pretending to catch a bus to Gatlinburg, I am allowed to enter your world and remember the pleasantness of childhood peace and the sweetness of joyful abandon, an innocence I see through and in your eyes. God forbid that you will have to grow up too fast or that modern times,technology and a world turned upside down will dim the memories we make now, or the view of life that you now hold. You entreated me to get into your tiny pool. When I hesitated you assumed the experienced adult role and said "TRY TRY". I jumped in - but that wasn't enough so I sat down - JEANS, SHIRT, AND ALL. I took up about two-thirds of the pool but when I asked you if I should get out you said, "No, stay here". When Nana held the hose pipe up high making an arch with the shower of water you wanted us to run under it. After a couple of times I was still dry so you made sure that the next time through I was far enough over to get wet. You really liked that. After that you would slide into the pool or Nana would spray you, you would open your eyes wide to clear them and then run back in a circle with your tiny butt stuck out in your little fluorescent green bathing suit.
Well, Jesse and Mikey are gone now. They have been replaced by Maggie on one side of Papa and Nana, and Toby and Holly on the other side. Maggie's owner let you run all over the backyard while she dragged you giggling at the other end of ther leash. You always have to remind me which of the other neighbor dogs is Holly and which one is Toby. You say, "Holly is a girl." You still have to place your hands through the fence while they lick your fingers and they lie against the chain link obstacle yearning to come over and play. You say "Hey baby" and "night night" to them. You are not afraid of anything. We catch lightnin' bugs and you want to hold them and let them crawl on your arm. You probably would hold a snake but we made the mistake of telling you (and transferring our own fears to you) that they were bad. I tried to correct that , but I didn't want you endangered. I am glad you're trusting and I want you to experience all of the world's wonders - the safe ones anyway.I met you and Papa and Nana at McDonald's Sunday for lunch. It wasn't our idea of a Sunday dinner but that's what you wanted and that's certainly good enough for us. You always grin with your eyes whenever you see me and if you're not trapped in a restaurant booth, etc. you usually run to me and hug me - this is the highlight of my LIFE. This day you were at the table eating your McNuggets so I went behind you and kissed you on the forehead as you looked at me upside down. You in that yellow checked dress, white frilly socks, and patent leather shoes - a burst of sunshine you are to me. After we ate you did come to me and I enjoyed that small but redeeming walk to the car.I decided to brave the 100 degrees and bloated belly and follow y'all back to Nana and Papa's to read the paper while you played in your new pool, but as usual you enlisted me as your playmate. Whether we're playing basketball, chasing each other, looking for dinosaurs, or pretending to catch a bus to Gatlinburg, I am allowed to enter your world and remember the pleasantness of childhood peace and the sweetness of joyful abandon, an innocence I see through and in your eyes. God forbid that you will have to grow up too fast or that modern times,technology and a world turned upside down will dim the memories we make now, or the view of life that you now hold. You entreated me to get into your tiny pool. When I hesitated you assumed the experienced adult role and said "TRY TRY". I jumped in - but that wasn't enough so I sat down - JEANS, SHIRT, AND ALL. I took up about two-thirds of the pool but when I asked you if I should get out you said, "No, stay here". When Nana held the hose pipe up high making an arch with the shower of water you wanted us to run under it. After a couple of times I was still dry so you made sure that the next time through I was far enough over to get wet. You really liked that. After that you would slide into the pool or Nana would spray you, you would open your eyes wide to clear them and then run back in a circle with your tiny butt stuck out in your little fluorescent green bathing suit.
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