Among The Lost Buttons
One of our kids' first favorite story characters were the lovable pair of amphibious friends known as Frog and Toad Adventures written by Arnold Lobel.
The ever cheerful Frog was always in a pleasant mood, and spent every day he could making memories, having fun, exploring, learning and sharing life with his best friend Toad.
Toad was a solid chap, albeit on the pessimistic side of things, still ever ready to enjoy another day living to the fullest in his simple little world with his neighbor and very best buddy, Frog.
We had read the book and we checked out the video as often as we could from the library.
It wasn't long before we realized there were more books!
Then they learned to read the books by themselves, and their favorite lines soon became part of the family vocabulary.
"Frog and Toad" were the best friends a little boy could have.
Did I mention three of my children were boys?
Frogs and toads became the Search for the Holy Grail where ever we could find water!
The love for little water creatures still remains.
I was thinking about those story books the other day, and thought of one in particular, how it still resonates to this day.
The story of A Lost Button takes us on a journey with Frog and Toad after they enjoyed a long walk in the meadow near their home.
Back at Toad's house later that day, he realized that a button was missing from his favorite jacket.
The story takes us backtracking through all the places they had been on their morning stroll.
Frog thinks he has found Toad's missing button in the grass, only it's not the right color.
Soon a small sparrow delivers a tiny button, which is also not the one he is looking for.
In the woods, a friendly raccoon tells of a button he found.
It isn't the right button any more than the one that Frog finds in the mud.
By now, poor Toad is frantic and unconsolable. He really misses his lost button on his favorite jacket and not any of the buttons they found that day, can replace it.
Toad ends up going home and finds his white, four-holed, big, round, thick button on the floor.
He feels bad for all the commotion he made and decides to make his best friend a special gift.
Taking every odd, stray button he now has in his pocket, he lovingly sews each one onto his favorite jacket as decoration.
The next day Toad took the beloved bedazzled jacket and gave it to his dear friend Frog.
The two little chums beamed with pride over the coat.
Toad was happy because Frog was happy and that's all that really matters.
As I am reading this story, it brings many great memories to mind, a smile to my face, and pride swells within my heart. For I know without a doubt, all three of my sons grew up becoming the personification of those lovable, laughable amphibians. They would do what ever it takes just help out a friend, even if it meant giving them the shirt off their back.
But as for me, I hold back the tears as I recall that lost button.
Like Toad misses his button on his favorite jacket, there is a hole left where a button should be, as I am missing my Nathanael, my son. A gaping hole is left to see.
Those around me may think they have an answer, a solution, to my .....(what? problem?
See, they are on the wrong track already there)
Toad had other buttons on his jacket, isn't that good enough?
No, it isn't right. It isn't complete.
It is a source of grief and unrest.
His friends tried to help by offering other buttons to replace his lost one.
You and I both know that's not going to help one bit.
Which one of your children would you pick to replace?
But just like Toad's decision to share his best jacket with his very best friend after he decorated it, made both of them so happy just to be together;
I am sharing bits and pieces of my world with you dear reader,
in hopes of healing from the missing part of my heart as well.
Stories from the sewing basket @Brick by Brick
written by: Sue Leerhoff
The ever cheerful Frog was always in a pleasant mood, and spent every day he could making memories, having fun, exploring, learning and sharing life with his best friend Toad.
Toad was a solid chap, albeit on the pessimistic side of things, still ever ready to enjoy another day living to the fullest in his simple little world with his neighbor and very best buddy, Frog.
We had read the book and we checked out the video as often as we could from the library.
It wasn't long before we realized there were more books!
Then they learned to read the books by themselves, and their favorite lines soon became part of the family vocabulary.
"Frog and Toad" were the best friends a little boy could have.
Did I mention three of my children were boys?
Frogs and toads became the Search for the Holy Grail where ever we could find water!
The love for little water creatures still remains.
I was thinking about those story books the other day, and thought of one in particular, how it still resonates to this day.
The story of A Lost Button takes us on a journey with Frog and Toad after they enjoyed a long walk in the meadow near their home.
Back at Toad's house later that day, he realized that a button was missing from his favorite jacket.
The story takes us backtracking through all the places they had been on their morning stroll.
Frog thinks he has found Toad's missing button in the grass, only it's not the right color.
Soon a small sparrow delivers a tiny button, which is also not the one he is looking for.
In the woods, a friendly raccoon tells of a button he found.
It isn't the right button any more than the one that Frog finds in the mud.
By now, poor Toad is frantic and unconsolable. He really misses his lost button on his favorite jacket and not any of the buttons they found that day, can replace it.
Toad ends up going home and finds his white, four-holed, big, round, thick button on the floor.
He feels bad for all the commotion he made and decides to make his best friend a special gift.
Taking every odd, stray button he now has in his pocket, he lovingly sews each one onto his favorite jacket as decoration.
The next day Toad took the beloved bedazzled jacket and gave it to his dear friend Frog.
The two little chums beamed with pride over the coat.
Toad was happy because Frog was happy and that's all that really matters.
As I am reading this story, it brings many great memories to mind, a smile to my face, and pride swells within my heart. For I know without a doubt, all three of my sons grew up becoming the personification of those lovable, laughable amphibians. They would do what ever it takes just help out a friend, even if it meant giving them the shirt off their back.
But as for me, I hold back the tears as I recall that lost button.
Like Toad misses his button on his favorite jacket, there is a hole left where a button should be, as I am missing my Nathanael, my son. A gaping hole is left to see.
Those around me may think they have an answer, a solution, to my .....(what? problem?
See, they are on the wrong track already there)
Toad had other buttons on his jacket, isn't that good enough?
No, it isn't right. It isn't complete.
It is a source of grief and unrest.
His friends tried to help by offering other buttons to replace his lost one.
You and I both know that's not going to help one bit.
Which one of your children would you pick to replace?
But just like Toad's decision to share his best jacket with his very best friend after he decorated it, made both of them so happy just to be together;
I am sharing bits and pieces of my world with you dear reader,
in hopes of healing from the missing part of my heart as well.
Stories from the sewing basket @Brick by Brick
written by: Sue Leerhoff
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