...when you take your father to a VETERANS hospital and your littles come along...

as adults, we understand there is a certain level of respect given as you walk through the hallways of a Veterans Hospital...an unspoken understanding that regardless of the outer or inner appearances and emotions...each of these men and women have endured life in a way most of us would never even fathom

LIFE MOMENTS...TWO

one wee little has to take a hundred trips to the bathroom...repeatedly...his brother and i would walk him down to the restroom and prop ourselves up against the wall across from where he resided...and inevitably as one wee littlest stood within those bathroom walls...someone would non nonchalantly walk up and knock on the door to see if the bathroom was vacant...and with each knock you would hear the voice of our little..

"HEY"

"I AM IN HERE"

and each time he came out, i would explain to him that he needed to remember his manners and try to use a normal voice

and he replied

"but mama, they're old and i was afraid they could not hear me"

true in many regards...most WERE among the elderly age

i understand but please try not to yell so loud

"ok mama"

now after a few hours passed

waiting for his poppi's surgery to be over

he says to me

"mama, i have to go to the bathroom"

"again"

"i have to sit"

sighing...i say let's go and his brother and i walked him back down to the bathroom

this time we decide to stand guard

both of us laughing as we each take a post and place ourselves on each side of the door

this time ensuring there will be no yelling from within the walls of the bathroom

a few minutes pass by and suddenly there is a LOUD sound

i hear the sheer panic in the voice of our littlest one

"maaaamaaa...what's happening"

its ok...its just an alarm going off...no worries

and just a quickly as these words slipped from my mouth

i see in the corner of my eye a shadow coming swiftly towards me

i turn to look and see a nurse standing there frantic

"is everything ok"

and as i stand there looking and hearing her words...it hits me...

that alarm that is ringing ever so loudly throughout the floor...that alarm

WAS SET OFF FROM THAT WEE LITTLEST ONE WHO WAS SITTING WITHIN THE WALLS OF THAT BATHROOM

oh my goodness...i am so sorry...he must of accidentally pushed the button

"mama what's happening"

"did you push a button"

"no"

the nurse stood trying to explain through the door how to push the button off...but nothing was making any sense to that wee littlest one

"mama...there is no button"

the three of us stood there looking dumb founded at one another

and then it stops

she looks at me

then turns and walks away

one wee older one and i can not help but laugh

"mama"

"yes"

"soooo, i was just sitting in here and well i was playing with this string on the wall...i was bored so i decided to tie it in knots"

THE STRING...i forgot all about the string on the walls

"bored eh...buddy...you can not play in the bathroom"

"mama...i wasn't playing...i was just tying knots and i did not know it would make a loud sound...i'm sorry"

"it's ok...just please next time...do not touch anything"

"ok..but then how do you expect me to go to the bathroom"

shaking my head

"no buttons or strings"

"ok mama...i'm sorry"