The Rocking Horse

"Mom, can we go the Mall?" asked Robby as he lay on the living room floor flipping through the weekly advertisements stuffed inside the Sunday paper. "We'll see" was the response, a response that he and all children have heard before and which was actually meant more to allow the moment to pass and not to answer his question.

"But mom, we start back to school soon and I need to get the stuff on the list" continued Robby as he waived the 15 item list of school supplies sent in the mail to the houses of all students announcing the start of another school year.

With that, Robby shuffled the newspaper back to its original neatly folded form, bounced to his feet and headed to his room stopping first by the couch to kiss his mom on the forehead. "I love you mom" he said in a tone that came from the beauty that is the innocence of childhood and was in no way a premeditated attempt to sway his mothers decision as to whether she would take him to the Mall or not.

As the morning slipped away, Robby thought about the day. With first a text message, and then a phone call, he was sure his plans would work out and he would be able to join his friends for an afternoon at the local Mall. "Mom, Gary said his mother will take us to the Mall, is that OK?" yelled Robby from his bedroom.

"Why don't we wait and go tomorrow afternoon when it's not so crowded" replied his mother, knowing full well that it was in fact because the Mall would be crowded with teenagers from around town that Robby was so set on going Sunday afternoon.

"OK, you can go, but be home for dinner by 6:00." said his mother as she handed him $40.00 to buy the basic papers and pens that were on his back to school list. "And make sure you have your phone with you in case I want to call you" she added as she picked up her phone to check with Gary's parents about the two teenagers plans for the day.

"Bye Mom, I'll be home later" Robby shouted as he bolted out the front door and ran to the driveway to join his best friend for the trip to the Mall and an afternoon of teenage adventure. "Call me when you get there" echoed across the yard as his mother pointed and waived from the doorway left open by his energetic dash from the house.

As he most always did, Robby followed the rules of the day set out by his mom. He called her when got to the Mall, he left his phone on, and most importantly, he was home by 6:00. "Well, did you get all your school supplies" his mother asked as he plopped a handful of bags on the kitchen table. "Yea, except I couldn't find a notebook I like so I need to go to another store before school starts" was his reply.

"I also got you something Mom" he said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. Reaching into one of the many bags spread in front of him, Robby pulled out a small rocking horse and handed it to his mother. "Do you like it?" he asked as he continued to gush with pride on his most special buy of the day.

"It's beautiful, and I will cherish it forever" said his mother as she bent down to hug him. "But how did you pay for it dear?" she asked as she felt her heart warming and tears swelling in her eyes. "It was from the money I got last Christmas" answered Robby as he pushed the tail of the rocking horse down and set it in motion on its maiden rock in its new home.

After a few moments of chatter as he showed his mom the school supplies he had purchased, Robby checked the items off his list one by one and then repacked the bags and hurriedly carried them off to his bedroom for safety as the new school year drew near.

Now standing alone in the house, years removed from those childhood school years, Robby once again pushed the tail of the rocking horse and set it into motion. With the horse slowly rocking in a smooth and soothing cadence, Robby thought back on those days. He thought about the smiles and loving hugs of his mother and of the day he gave her a gift. He reached again to the mantle and bobbed the tail of the horse to continue it's motion and as he did so, a warm tear streamed down his face.

If his mom could help take away his pain he knew that she would. Instead, he now stood alone in the house and in a world that seemed empty and gray. As Robby watched the horse rock in a quiet gallop, he realized that his days would never be the same. He loved his mother so much, there was nothing that could prepare him to hear that she had passed away.

Robby's mom had given her life to her family to help show and teach the way, and as he now stood alone he thought of her love and cried a small smile. For it was for his mother that he wiped away his tears, rocked the horse, and walked away.



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