A Story From My Childhood

Tonight we had Family Home Evening in the Park.

This is a ward activity where we all meet for a potluck BBQ at a nearby park. Ryan had a little baby doll in the car and asked if he could take it with us to the park. I told him it was fine but that he might lose it. He insisted that he'd be very careful about it. "Okay, but don't be sad if you lose it," I warned.

We left around 8:00pm so it was dark. I reminded Ryan to remember the little doll so he ran off to get it. He came back and told me he couldn't find it because it was so dark.
"Is Dad's flashlight still in the car?" he asked.
"Wow," I said, "this reminds me of a story my Dad used to tell me all the time before bed. Do you want me to tell it to you?"

So, as we walked to the car and found a flashlight, I began the story.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl named Sally. She had a doll named Sandy that she took everywhere she went. She loved Sandy so much. Sandy was there when Sally was sleeping, eating, and playing. One day, they were playing at a park near Sally's house. They played on the swings, the slide, the sandbox, the monkey bars, the teeter-totter, and went on the merry-go-round. They were having such a fun time when a little boy showed up.

"Hi, my name is Ryan," the boy said. "I just moved here and don't know anyone yet. Do you want to play with me?" "Sure," Sally replied. She put Sandy down on a park bench. Sally and Ryan played on the swings, the slide, the sandbox, the monkey bars, the teeter-totter, and went on the merry-go-round. They were having such a fun time when Sally heard her mother calling her. "Saaally... time to come Hooome." "Oh, I've got to home Ryan, I hear my Mom calling," Sally said. "I'll see you another day."

This whole time we are walking the park with the flashlight trying to find the little doll. We are shinning it around on all the park equipment and the field. My kids are looking but are mesmerized by the story.

Sally hurried home because she always obeyed her mom. Her family ate dinner and Sally went upstairs to brush her teeth, but realized that she couldn't find Sandy. She went downstairs and asked her mom if she knew where Sandy was. Her mother said, "Maybe you left her at the park." Sally's dad got out his flashlight and walked her over to the park to see if they could find Sandy. They looked on the swings, the slide, the sandbox, the monkey bars, the teeter-totter, the merry-go-round, and even the park bench. Sandy wasn't anywhere. Sally's dad said, "Sorry Sally, we'll have to look again tomorrow when it is light outside."

Now, we have located the doll and we are walking back to the car, still telling the story.

They went home and Sally cried herself to sleep that night. She missed Sandy so much. In the morning, she slowly walked down the stairs and started eating the cereal that her mom had poured for her. Then she heard a knock at the door. And who do you think it was?? RYAN and SANDY! Ryan said, "Hi Sally, you left Sandy at the park last night and I didn't want her to get lonely so I took her home with me." Sally was SO happy and gave Sandy a big hug. "I love you Sandy," she said, "I'll never leave you anywhere ever again."

I asked Ryan, "Does that remind you of what happened tonight?" He said in a super excited voice, "Yes, and I'll always remember that story! When I'm a Dad I'm going to tell it to MY kids every night." I told him that it would make Grandpa really happy. ;) He asked me if I would tell it again when they went to bed. They have heard this story plenty of times before, but now he had a real life experience to relate it to and I think that made him pretty excited. Family rituals like that are pretty fun to pass along.