Hanging Out With Abraham Lincoln

Saturday night, Kiera and I sat outside around our grill and made s'mores. It was a quiet evening, slightly cool outside, and just overall relaxing.

We toasted our marshmallows, well, Kiera actually burned her first one. I offered to take it but she declined, stating that she would try it.

She did eat it and promptly decided that burnt marshmallows were not for her.

As we sat outside eating our s'mores, I had an idea. "Stay out here, baby. I'll be right back." I stated before opening the back door.

"Where are you going?" Kiera asked.

"Hang on!" I replied, laughing at her impatience.

I stepped inside, grabbed a fluffy blanket, and went back outside.

I instructed Kiera to follow me as I turned the porch light off and my flashlight on.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Just follow me," I replied, stepping off the deck and onto the yard.

She nervously giggled behind me as I walked through the darkness, the flashlight beam cutting a path for us.

I reached the trampoline, climbed the steps, and slid through the zippered opening. "Come on," I said as I held the flap open for her.

She followed me onto the trampoline and watched as I spread the blanket out and laid down.

"Lay down!" I said laughing as she continued to stare at me as if I had lost my mind.

Kiera slowly settled down next to me and laid on her back.

"Look!" I said, pointing to the star-filled sky.

"Ooooh!!" She responded. "We are going to look at the stars!"

"Yes. I thought it would be fun." I replied as she snuggled up next to me.

We laid in silence for a few moments as we gazed upwards. "Look over there, baby." I said, "It's the Big Dipper." I patiently pointed out the stars that formed the Big Dipper.

"Did you use to come out and look at the stars when you were a kid?" Kiera asked.

"I did," I replied. "When I got a little older, I would sit out on the hood of my car and stare up at the sky. It would relax me.

Sometimes, I would take my phone outside and talk to my friends while I watched the stars."

There were a few moments of silence.

"What is that moving?" She suddenly asked. "Is that a shooting star?"

I searched for the moving object. "Ummm, no. That is an airplane."

We giggled at her mistake and continued to point out different stars and airplanes.

"Tell me another story about you and the stars," Kiera stated.

I thought for a moment before replying. "Well, when I was in college, a friend of mine told me that the stars were actually windows to heaven."

I continued, trying to explain. "Kind of a way that those who have passed on, can see us and we can look at the stars and remember them."

As I laid there remembering that conversation from college, Kiera was silent.

"You know what that makes me think of?" Kiera asked.

"What?" I replied, waiting for something profound.

She turned her head to look at me and said, "All I keep picturing is someone like Abraham Lincoln peeking down through the holes in the sky and looking at us."

Continuing, she mimed squeezing her head through a hole. "He's up there like hi!"

I lost it. I never know what to expect from this girl of mine, but I can tell you this. Life is never dull.

Rowonna McNeely her husband, Aaron are regular volunteers in the community, and have their hands full with their daughter, Kiera, along with three dogs and one cat.

Thank you for sharing in our weekly journeys. If you have missed any of our past stories, check out our blog page at www.lifea2k.net or drop us a line at lifea2k@yahoo.com.