Pieces

I remember years ago my Dad wrote out a Christmas list for what he wanted from the children for Santa. He had only written one thing down and it was a jigsaw. My mind ran away with itself trying to imagine the best possible jigsaw. What brand?, how many pieces?, should there be a picture of a truck or a horse on it?. I was awash with ideas and excitement, not only for the chance to please my Dad but also the chance to sit with him and build the puzzle. We had spent time before in the past where he had helped me build model airplanes and technic lego machines nurturing my engineering brain. But as with most things, while we're living, traditions and past times seem to go by the wayside as other more pressing issues raise their heads. For me as a young teenage boy, I had suddenly seemed to be obsessed with the fairer 50% of our species and climbing trees, jumping bikes and even smoking had entered my days, introducing me to the wide and wonderful world of "peacocking". It would take me a long time to perfect my peacocking ways which is a whole other story.

Well anyway, Christmas day came and I sat patiently waiting for the circle of gifting to reach the moment of truth. Would he like the puzzle I had pondered over for so long? Would the 1000 pieces be enough to peak his interest? and finally, would the fluffy bunnies in the meadow depicted hop, skip and jump through his memory for years to come?

Well the answer is no. Turns out he wanted a Black and Decker Power Jigsaw and not a piddley puzzle at all! But in his stern gentle way he voiced his understanding of the mistake and we had a good chortle. Unfortunately we never took the time to sit and place each piece of the picture and now I find myself sorting through the cupboard looking for those fluffy bunnies in the hope of spending time with my son now that the roles are reversed. It may take us a few hours, a few days or an eternity but with each piece that we place will create peace of mind that we took time and created moments together.

While we're living, the dreams we have as children fade away.