Rocks!

Rocks --- for some reason Frankie always liked to give me rocks. He would randomly pick one up and sneakily put it in my hand. I kept a few of the rocks and have them in my keepsake box. One of them is pure white and smooth. He picked it up for me during our honeymoon. I wish I would have kept every single rock he ever handed me. I wish I could remember all the rocks and the moments that I feel are slipping away, like they are in some distant and beautiful dream that used to be my life. I wish I had him here to pick up a ridiculously big rock and expect me to keep it --- because I would baby. I would keep all of the rocks in the world just to see your smile when you handed them to me. I love that smile. He would pretend to be sad when I would say --- no baby, this rock likes it right here. It has all of its rock friends --- and I would point out all the other rocks. And then he would go find me a leaf, or a twig, or something else.

Besides my few precious rocks, I also kept a pet branch that we named Maxileafimus (after watching Gladiator). :) The leaf was stuck on the outside of Frankie’s car for like 6 months. It was barely attached, but somehow it would not come loose, and we hoped it wouldn't fall. We didn’t want to take it off --- the little fella just kept hanging on. It started coming loose one day, so we rescued our little Maxileafimus and I kept him to remember how much we cheered him on. The leaf has since well withered, but the branch remains ---
There is great metaphor to that story, but I am pretty tired! :)

So, I will leave this off with why I started thinking about these great moments ---
Frankie wrote this for me and I love it!

TODAY
I SEE TODAY THERE IS NO SUN
I SEE TODAY IT’S JUST DARK AND GREY
SO I CLOSE MY EYES AND LEAVE TODAY
I SEE US TOGETHER AND SMILE. YOU JUST BRIGHTEN MY DAY.

-Frankie Toner IV-

I miss you my love --- I will keep my eyes open for good rocks. I love you.