for Sweetness
Courage
by Dwight Bernard Mikkelsen
An old memory visited me today.
I’m giving a bath to my little girl and there is only one thing left to do: the shampooing. The shampooing is tricky – "Don't get shampoo in your eyes!" – so we always do it last. Well, she knows all about this, and always insists on helping, so together we wash and scrub – “Don’t forget behind the ears!” – making a huge hat of bright, white suds. After a few minutes, it’s time for the trickiest part of tricky shampooing: the rinsing. (Rinsing is the trickiest part because that’s the time it’s hardest to keep the shampoo out of the eyes.)
With my left hand high on her back, I lower her head under the running water. There’s no squirming or hard breathing or an effort to escape; just a calm, resolute face with eyes and mouth firmly closed. I stop for a moment and wonder: Where did this beautiful little girl get all that courage?
copyright © 1996 NotesLinger Arts
