It all started with my latest trip to Target therapy... During a therapeutic solo mission to the one-stop-shop I found myself browsing the children's books; a regular stop when not in a hurry. There between "I'll Love you Forever" and "Elmo's 1-2-3's" sat a whimsically illustrated hard back children’s book. "If I Could Keep You Little" I almost read it aloud. Every day I wish to remember the small things... like the way their foreheads fit the arch of my nose, the way their little arms wrap perfectly around my neck while their legs twist around my waist, the smell of their hair and the sweet tiny little sound of the word mommy. I thumbed through and threw it into the cart next to a baby shower greeting card and bottle of volumizing shampoo (what can I say, I love big hair).
Later I read through the pages like I usually do with new books so I am prepared for character voice changes to assure the story is a hit with the little ones. Rather than attempting a new high pitch animal voice I read this one cover to cover in my normal Hollie voice and each page lifted another hair from my arm.
I won't recite the entire book; rather quote two of my favorite pages so you can enjoy the lines on your own time... Enjoy!
"If I could keep you little,
I'd decide on matching clothes.
But then I'd miss you choosing
dots on top and stripes below...
If I could keep you little,
I'd keep you close to me.
But then I'd miss you growing into
who you're meant to be."
From "If I could Keep You Little"
Written & Illustrated by Marianne Richmond
