Those Watercolor Ponies (and other pieces of art)

Fred took the boys on Saturday morning so that I could have some time to clean up from the weekly tornado that blows through this house. He loves doing it. The boys love doing it. And I love when they do it, too! So while they were gone, I was cleaning up Timothy's scraps and muttering the whole time about how he just doesn't see the mess he makes when he's creating something new.

I was also listening to some of my "retro" music (read: Christian contemporary from the 80's) while I was cleaning. I was struck with a deep conviction as I was scraping Timothy's plasticine from the carpet under his chair at the table. He had been busy making a multi-media picture of outer space and parts of the Earth and Mars had fallen on the floor and went undetected in his excitement of creating this masterpiece. So as I was scraping bits and pieces out of the rug, Wayne Watson's song, "Watercolored Ponies" came on and my complaining screeched to a stop. If you've never heard this song and you have little children that drive you nuts sometimes, listen to the link and read the lyrics below. This song always brought tears to my eyes even before I had children, but now that I have my own, it's even more touching to me.

Watercolor Ponies

by Wayne Watson

There are watercolor ponies

On my refrigerater door

And the shape of something

I don't really recognize

Drawn by careful little fingers

And put proudly on display

A reminder to us all

Of how time flies

Seems an endless mound of laundry

And a stairway laced with toys

Gives a blow by blow

Reminder of the war

That we fight for their well-being

For their greater understanding

To impart a holy reverance

For the Lord

But, baby, what will we do

When it comes back to me an you?

They look a little less

Like little boys every day

Oh, the pleasure of watching

The children growing

Is mixed with a bitter cup

Of knowing the watercolour ponies

Will one day ride away

And the vision can get so narrow

As you view through your tiny world

And little victories can go by

With no applause

But in the greater evaluation

As they fly from your nest of love

May they mount up with wings

As eagles for His cause

But, baby, what will we do
When it comes back to me an you?
They look a little less
Like little boys every day
Oh, the pleasure of watching
The children growing
Is mixed with a bitter cup
Of knowing the watercolour ponies
Will one day ride away

Yes, there are pictures galore around here and an endless mound of laundry, but Fred and I have been chosen by God to fight a war for these children. We're in the heat of the battle right now, but soon ... very, very soon ... our part of the war will be less physical and even more spiritual. One day those water colored ponies will ride away and we'll be left with memories of their childhood and no pictures, sticky handprints, muddy shoes, or a million pieces of Lego to complain about. (Remind me of this next week when I've forgotten about this song and am once again frustrated to no end about the mess that I'm cleaning up after them!)