Scarlet Hare and Daddy's Hands

Everyone has pipe dreams - you know, those dreams that are likely never to happen, but they could, maybe, someday, if you're really lucky.  One of my/our pipe dreams is to someday be a published children's author.  To that end, I've written a couple of short books (with some help from Chase) that we enjoy here in our home.

You can find the text for the first book here - Scarlet Hare - in a blog post I did a while back.  I made it and the text below into books on Shutterfly with pictures taken by Kathy Chase (some of which I've also included below).  I hope you enjoy...


Scarlet Hare and Daddy's Hands
by Chase and Stephani Francl
with photos by Kathy Chase


It was Scarlet Hare’s very favoritest kind of day,
Because just she and her Daddy got to spend it all in play.
They began with a walk to the nearby playground,
Where Scarlet started pondering on the merry-go-round.

They slowed to a stop and as she reached for Daddy’s hand,
She asked him, “Daddy, what makes holding your fingers so grand?”
Daddy smiled at his Scarlet while he formed his reply,
Then he scooped her up into his arms and said, “I’ll tell you why.”



“It’s grand to hold my hand, dear Scarlet, because it fits just right.
God made them special just for you, the right size to hold you tight.
My hands are big to snuggle you close, enveloped in my love.
They snatch you up when you get scared and shelter you from above.

My hands are strong to lift you high in an eagle’s soaring flight.
They catch you each time you stumble or trip or have a fearful fright.




My hands are gentle to hold you when you’re tired or feeling mad.
They can put on a bandage or wipe away tears when you’re sad.

My hands are filled with fun that I can’t wait to share with you.
There are lots of exciting things that you and I will do.



Sometimes my hands are far away, and they’re not right by your side.
That’s when they’re hard at work, dear Scarlet, in order to provide.
Some day these hands may give you away to a very special boy,
But always they will protect you so this life you will enjoy."



Scarlet looked down at her daddy’s hands that held her as she sat.
Then she jumped down, looked up at him, and plopped on her little hat.
“Daddy, I love you.” Scarlet said and melted her daddy’s heart.
“I’ll race you to the slide, but you have to give me a head start.”

“Ready.  Set.  Go!”  Daddy hollered as he watched her race ahead.
He got up and followed closely behind as to the slide she led.
She zoomed down from the top squealing in delight all along the way,
And Daddy caught her in his hands - his favorite kind of day.

Limits

On the first day of grad school, I was late to class.  I underestimated the time it would take me to walk from the Foggy Bottom Metro stop to the Georgetown campus.  (For all you wondering, get off at Rosslyn and walk to Georgetown from there.  Even though Rosslyn is in Virginia, it's still MUCH closer than the Foggy Bottom stop.)  It was hot and humid and horrible to walk/run that far knowing full-well that I would be shamefully late to my very first day of class...  What a way to make a first impression.

I stumbled into the small classroom, the door featuring my entrance directly in front of my 15 on-time classmates.  It turned out that it was ok that I was late - the professor was still having the class do introductions, and my name hadn't yet been pulled from the stack.

Once introductions were completed, our professor began a discussion about politics and why there is conflict/disagreement in politics.  It turns out there are 2 very specific reasons:  limited time and limited resources.  There is also, I suppose, some differences based on differing opinions of ends, but generally the ends in politics are agreed upon.  We all want everyone to have food, shelter, safety, health, etc.  The difference is the method we go about in achieving those goal.  (Please understand, I'm speaking generalities here - I know there are other differences, but if you think broadly, these limits do cause most of the trouble.)  And if we weren't limited by time and resources, then we'd likely not have as many arguments as we do today.

Imagine if our world wasn't limited even just by monetary bounds.  Imagine what you would do if money were never an issue, not only for you, but also for all of those around you...  Mind blowing, really.  And imagine if we not only had unlimited funds, but also unlimited time.  ...Absolutely unimaginable.  


If those two restrictions were not part of my life, then last night I wouldn't have wondered what I should do after putting the baby down.  I wouldn't have debated among reading, playing video games with Chase, watching TV, blogging, playing on Facebook, or playing Angry Birds, because I would have had all the time in the world.  And maybe I would have decided to fly to Columbus, Ohio to visit my dear college roomie.  If I weren't limited by time or resources, I could have taken the time and money to fly or do any of a million other things I want to do.  (Ultimately, I settled on Angry Birds. Killing some fat, green pigs always makes me feel better.)

Even if resources were still limited, but I had unlimited time, then I wouldn't constantly feel the need to treasure moments with Liliana and Chase. I wouldn't  in the same way have the desire to bottle up Lily's little laughs and waves and giggles and moments of sheer adorableness.  I wouldn't in the same way value every second I get to spend with my very best friend facing the challenges of life head on, together.

Limits mean we have to make choices.  I have to make choices.  There's a mind set out there that we "need to be intentional" with our time.  Maybe that phrase was overdone for me years ago.  I don't really want to be reminded to "be intentional."  I already feel the pressure of the limits on my life - the sorrow of the things I desperately want to do that will never happen because I simply don't have the time or resources to make them happen.

Every day I make choices within the bounds of my limited time and limited resources.  I choose where I spend my time, and I choose carefully.  I know the value of each of my moments.  I feel the weight of selecting how I will spend each breath.  I feel the pressure of needing to be there when I want to be here, and wanting to be there when I'm needing to be here.

I don't want to have to be intentional.  But I do have to be, so I am.  I guess that's just part of life.

Speaking of life and intentionality, here are some ways this summer that I have intentionally spent my life:

1.  Celebrating the marriage of dear friends at their wedding reception:

2.  Watching my daughter interact with and learn from her little friends:

3.  Treasuring those moments that I feel like often only I get to see as Lily's mom:

4.  Spending time with my family and our friends at the lake... and teaching Lily to wave.  :)

5.  Making the most out of a diaper blow out at the lake.

Celebrating Independence Day

This summer has been very different for me.  Before I've even come to grips with summer, the 4th of July is upon me, and I'm not really ready for summer to be 1/2 over (although the temperatures could sure stand to drop a little).

Usually I feel like I take at least a little time to appreciate all the time, the effort, the sacrifice, the work that went into the founding of the United States of America.  Those men and by extension their wives and children, "Mutually pledge[d] to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our Sacred Honor."  They didn't really know what that would mean at that time.  They didn't really understand that 250 years later what they did would impact my life.  They couldn't possibly have grasped the price that they would have to pay.  But they also couldn't possibly have anticipated the benefit, the blessing, the gift that they would give to so many who would come after them.

Today I really didn't take time to think about all that until now.  I slept in.  I made potato salad.  I went to a barbecue.  I watched my husband lose to his brother at horse.  I watched my nephews light of who knows how much $ in fireworks.  And now, at 11:47pm, I finally take a moment to consider the cost and appreciate the sacrifice.

But that, in itself, is a gift.  The fact that I can go through an entire day without thinking about defending my freedoms.  I slept in because there are and have been soldiers around the world defending my freedoms.  I made potato salad because our economic system provides potatoes, eggs, Miracle Whip, and all the other things I needed to be at the grocery store just down the street.  I went to a barbecue because my friends and family had the day off to celebrate our nation's birth with me.  I watched my husband lose to his brother at horse because he had an "off night."  (Sorry honey.)  My nephews could light off fireworks because the government can't regulate everything we do - at least for now.

I'm thankful that I don't have to think about, worry about, fret about my freedoms each day or each moment.  This Independence Day, I'm thankful that I can be absorbed with "normal life," and that's ok.  And just to share a little of the joy with you, here are some pictures from tonight.
Lily with my friend Sarah in excited anticipation of the fireworks starting.

Lil and I seconds before the fireworks started...

Lil and I as the fireworks began... clearly she is more attentive to them than I am.  :)

Happy Independence Day.  Here's to living normal life and to all those who have made that possible.