"WALK! WALK!!"

2/4/10 "Walk, walk." was one of Owen's first declarative sentences. However, declarative soon became imperative and as doting grandparents we followed his command. Last week Shug and Pop-Pop did just that. Although Owen’s sentence structure is now more complex, you still understand the “imperative mood” and we usually comply.

Walking with Owen is not exactly a walk. It’s more of an adventure. He ran to get ahead of me; he stooped down to investigate the crawly thing in the crack in the sidewalk; he picked an old stick (with dried leaves) out of a bush that was almost above his reach and then trotted along dragging it through the dust; he investigated the underside of an unusual wrought iron mailbox while he waited for the mail truck he could see in the distance. “It’s not Walter ,” he said.
Walter is Owen’s mailman and he doesn’t drive his mail truck but instead parks it at the end of O’s street. Walter walks on Owen’s block delivering mail through mail drops built into the old houses. There are no mailboxes on his street, thus Owen’s fascination with this new “delivery” method. The mailman didn’t know Owen ----yet. He answered his questions about “Where’s Walter?” and “Do you want to walk?” Owen got to know him and he seemed delighted to know Owen. We even crossed the street to “beat” him to another mailbox. We won. Actually we all won as we laughed with our new found friend.

There’s a lot to be learned from a walk with a grandson who is almost 3. He found joy along the way. When I go out for a walk it’s usually for the dreaded EXERCISE. For Owen, it’s like a dance---something to savor and enjoy every step of the way. I look at my watch. Owen revels in God’s creation. He looks down at bugs and up at the bushes. I hurry to finish my “goal” and return home. He makes new friends along the way.

" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (Luke 10:27)

How can I love my neighbors if I don’t even know their names----I’ve decided to follow Owen’s lead. I’m going to find out my mailman’s name. It’s imperative that I do so.