MattHew marMorial for Mark, Uncle Monte, ALR

I love my cousins.

Matthew is one of them.

One day one summer I was his favorite.

All I had to do was read.

The same book.

Over

and over.

And

over!

And make the fish lips between pages.

We made a movie together too that summer.

Maybe neither of us would win an Oscar, but anyway we had a lot of fun.

I wish I could remember which book it was Matt liked so much.

I remember being happy Mark and his friend liked my SF collection from class, but Matt’s book has been forgotten.

What has not been–and what will never be– forgotten

is the sight of him flying kites with his little cousins at the lake last year when we celebrated his mom’s birthday.

Nor will I forget his sweet shining smile when he said I was his favorite

and any time I saw him after that.

Charles Dickens said, “I love little children, and it is not a slight thing when they,

who are fresh from God, love us.”

I love Matthew, and it is no slight thing that he,

who is fresh back to God,

loved me.