My Little Red Wagon

I'll never forget the day I got my first little red wagon. I was so excited and couldn't wait to get all my "stuff" in the wagon. Next thing you know, all my stuff became my most treasured possessions when they sat in that wagon. I remember my Roy Roger's hat, gun and holster that I even wore to bed at times after a long day of Cowboys and Indians. Next to it was my very own homemade sling-shot that I carved from the branch I broke off a tree. I can still hear mother telling me as I stepped out the screen door, "now you be careful with that slingshot and don't go breaking glass bottles and end up cutting yourself. Go now and take these soda bottles to the store and redeem them for the buffalo nickels you've been collecting". And how can I forget my special marble bag that held those valuable collector's choice marbles that I won off my buddies or my Mickey Mantle baseball bat--man could I hit that ball after nearly 10 misses! Then there were the times I took it fishing--it took days to get that smell out! As I grew older, it helped out with the yard work or carried the groceries when I would tie it behind my bike. Boy, what would my life have been without my little red wagon? A wagon that carried my dreams and hopes, a wagon that changed with time.

My bright red wagon is now a faded color of red, with scratches, bumps and a frame different from what it used to be. Ironic isn't it, how we change along with our toys. My hair has faded to a shade of gray and my frame also different, changed from that of a young little boy to that of a grown man. And the load I have had to carry, though it has made me tip over at times sending me off with bruises, bumps and scratches--has helped build values in me, as a person. The toys tagged with hopes and dreams I once placed in that wagon as a little boy, have now become my most priceless possessions. My little red wagon is now filled with my faith in God, my loving family and the respect and integrity of friendships that I have made through the years. These, I will continue to carry in my little red wagon for the rest of my life.

When I was young, I wished time would hurry up so I could be older and do things that grown-ups do. Today, if wishes were as simple as "a wish"-- would I want to be young again and change some of the things I missed as a young boy or even change my fate? Probably not, for my life today is a result of those choices and those mistakes that God used to mold and shape me into the man that I have become.

I believe God gives all of His children a little red wagon and I pray that my children and grandchildren will also put their hopes and dreams and carry them in their wagon wherever they choose to go in life. One day, I will grasp the handle of my little red wagon and go home to my Father. There, I will be able to lay out before Him, one by one, my deeds and the things I carried in my little red wagon. Even the glass soda bottles I broke and never told my mother will be there. In exchange, I will be rewarded with riches beyond my imagination. Who knows, maybe He will turn and say "well done my son". After all, my Father is also "The Redeemer".

To Charles Sexton : A short-story from a friend he allowed to ride in his wagon. I am blessed to have met you.

                                                                                                                                     Ernie Marroquin 5/26/05