Graf # 9 Object NARBLE..(that's four year old for Marble)

 Slowly the glass ball rolls across the counter between both of my hands. It reflects the lighting directly above the counter top. A tear comes to my eye, one and then another, until it's a full on tear fest. She loved this small glass ball. She called it her 'narble". I remember how her face lit up when she found this treasure outside on one of our walks. "Gam, can I keep it?" asked my then four year old granddaughter. My response taught her a lesson on finders keepers, as long as the value was under a dollar, it would be alright to probably keep without posting any "LOST" signs to find the original owner.
 Our two eldest granddaughters, Olivia and Izabell, were staying with us for 18 months while their dad, my son, was deployed overseas. Their mother had left my son in search of her own happiness, and agreed to let us have the girls until she got on her feet. How we enjoyed that time, every moment was precious. While we love them equally and don't have a favorite, there is something rather humbling about seeing the world through the eyes of a four year. The day of the "narble" find, was one of those times. I would have walked right past this perfectly spherical, shiny, green object, but my Izzy would have no part of that! She was very quick to point out to me this was a beautiful treasure and would be polished and kept with her finer things. She did very well with her narble. I can say it was probably the cleanest piece of glass in our entire home. It traveled to pre-school numerous times, travel to Jamaica on a missions trip and on one occasion, almost got lost in the offering plate at Sunday School! Sadly, it would come to be a trinket she would leave me to remember her by when she left abruptly one cold day in July 2011. Their mother arrived to reclaim them. I was angry at the sudden decision but had no recourse. The tears flowed freely that day and we said our goodbyes. In her wealth of knowledge Izabell knew, she was going to be in a different state a great distance away and that sweet little one looked up at me and said, "Gam, no crying, be strong, you keep my narble in yours pocket and play with it when you miss us!"  I don't think it has stopped moving yet.