Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Reading (01/25/07)
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TITLE: Really Living | Previous Challenge Entry
By Patty Wysong
01/30/07 -
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“Pappy! I hate it when you do that!” While she fumbled he tried to grab her book, but his hands just weren’t cooperating, and she easily snatched it out of his reach. “Stop, Pappy!” By now she was smiling so he reached a little farther, just to tease her; sometimes it was worth extra pain just to do something fun.
“Aren’t you done with that book, yet, Megan?” he demanded once he was settled back into his lawn chair, trying not to groan as his body protested.
“This is the sequel to that other one.”
“The sequel! Just how long did I doze?” he demanded.
“Only a few minutes. I, um, read kinda fast, I guess.” Megan mumbled the last bit, not wanting to make her grandfather feel bad.
“Mmmm. I’ll say so! Just like your mother!” He sighed and looked out over the campground toward the lake, wishing he wasn’t in such bad shape. He missed living.
“Why don’t you go over there and join that washer game, Meg? They need another player.”
“Nah. I wanna finish this book, it’s really good.” Megan’s nose was already back in her book so he just let her be, knowing she’d soon be done. Then he was going to have a talk with this girl of his, there were some things she needed to hear, and he was the one to tell her. By gorry, he might not be able to get around much, but he saw what went on and he wasn’t going to keep still when there was something he could do!
Sure enough, she was soon reaching for another book. “Now wait just a minute there before you go starting another one!” Megan looked at him, startled by the tone of his voice. “Why do you read so much, Megan?” he gentled his voice, not wanting her to become defensive.
She shrugged, “I don’t know. I like reading!”
“Do you think reading is more interesting than life is?” He chuckled to himself when she seemed surprised that he understood so easily. “Mmm. That’s what I thought.” Lord, give me the words to say so that she’ll understand what I’m trying to tell her. “Do you know why I spend so much time reading?”
“Because you like reading and you hurt so much?”
“Yes, I like reading and it’s about all I can do anymore. But you know what I’d rather do?” He waited for the shake of her head. “I’d rather be out there living. Really living. Not stuck here on the side lines, watching everyone else live. Not having to read about life, but really living again.” He looked over at the rest of his family as they laughed and played washers. “Life is too short to spend it reading about all the fun everyone else had. You gotta get out there and live it yourself! If you get off the side lines and get involved, then living will be more interesting than reading!” He looked back at this special girl of his. He treasured the time she spent with him, but he didn’t want life to pass her by, he wanted her living her life to the fullest. Living it for God. He knew that was the only way she’d ever be truly happy.
Megan studied her grandfather, feeling the sadness in him. “Don’t be content being a wall flower all your life, watching everyone else. Get out there and do things. You’ll be old soon enough, and then you can sit and read, but now is the time for you to be living.” He stopped and watched the thoughts and emotions play across her precious face, seeing when she accepted what he’d said.
Smiling, she leaned over and hugged him, “You’re right, Pappy. I’d rather live life than watch it.”
“Go live, Sweetheart, then come back and tell me all about it. That would be better than reading it!”
“I love you, Pappy!” Megan called out as she jumped up, “I’ll be back to tell you about it.”
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You've captured these engaging characters so well we get to know them!
Well done!