The Redhead & The Little Green House

A little green house on a tree-lined street
Became the home to a baby girl one day
A baby girl with her fiery red hair
And blue-blue eyes

The walls of one room in the little green house
Had been home to others before
But they became new again
With a coat of buttercup yellow paint
And the colorful letters A-L-D-E-N
Displayed proudly above a baby's first bed

The floors of this house had seen better days
But they lovingly embraced the two little knees
Of a red headed girl
Learning to move to and fro

Then the crawling turned into first steps
And the hardwood planks squeaked in delight
At her transition from infancy to toddlerhood

Lullabies were sung in this house
Hugs and kisses were given in this house
First words were uttered in this house
Like "ball" and "bubble" and "ditty dat"

But the redhead and the little green house
Soon had to go their separate ways
And while the furniture and toys were packed
Into a big orange and silver truck
The redhead ran and giggled
Under the branches of big trees
As the little green house looked on

There will be other houses for the redhead
And other rooms where sweet dreams will take place
And for the little green house
There will be others who will find
Safety and warmth within its walls

But somewhere down the road
This redhead little girl
Will grow to be a woman
And will bring her children
To see the little green house...
The place where
Her very first memories were made

And the little green house
Will smile as it remembers
The good times they shared
When a redhead girl
Called this little green house

With its bright yellow room

Her home...

--written for my niece Alden as she moves away from her first home.
Love, Aunt Katie