Day 78: The Lamplighter

So this morning I was thinking about how much I love children and how much I want some someday soon...They bring so much joy into my life. We have them with their parents at the bookstore that I work at all the time, and at church and when nieces and nephews come to visit friends...Babies and children everywhere! I just love it, and so I decided that today I would read a poem from The Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. I have seen several copies, and I think we even had a copy when I was young, but I don't ever remember reading it (I know, right? What's wrong with you, you've never read that!? Is probably what some of you are thinking...:) ), and so I decided to read an excerpt for my blog today. I chose the poem "The Lamplighter", and I'm glad I did. It's from the perspective of a little boy who wants to grow up and be a lamplighter. He watches the local lamplighter, Leerie, come by every night, and wants him to notice that he's watching him. The little boy says, "Now Tom would be a driver, and Maria out to sea/And my papa's a banker, as rich as he could be;/But I, when I am stronger and can choose what I'm to do/ O Leerie, I'll go round at night and light the lamps with you! (Stanza 2)". This passage also reminds me how much influence we have on children, for good or for evil, but especially for good. So please watch over your children, and make sure that you are setting the example for what you want your children to become.