One crisp autumn morning, Sire sat on his favorite rock near the old oak tree.
He looked down the path that wound through the meadow.
“I miss Sage,” he whispered.
He hadn’t seen her in a very long time.
Just then, Elijah Ransom Harden landed quietly on a nearby branch.
“You’ve been looking down that path every day,” Elijah said.
Sire nodded. “I have.”
“I miss her.”
Elijah’s kind eyes looked toward the mountains.
“I know.”
Far away, beyond the forests, rivers, and rolling hills, Sage was carefully walking through a peaceful woodland.
On her back was a large woven basket. Inside were fragrant herbs, tiny flowers, roots, leaves, berries, mushrooms, and the bark of special trees.
Sage was searching for rare medicinal plants. These plants were valuable because they could be used to help goats who were sick.
Sage stopped beside a patch of beautiful purple flowers. She smiled softly.
“Sire would love these,” she whispered.
Then her smile became quieter.
“I miss Sire.”
She looked up at the sky.
“I’ve been away for a long, long time, and I can’t wait until I see him again.”
Back at the meadow, Sire sighed.
“I wonder if Sage misses me.”
Elijah smiled. “Oh, she does.”
“How do you know?”
“Because when someone loves you,” Elijah said gently, “it’s perfectly okay to miss them.”
Sire thought about those words.
“What does ‘miss someone’ mean?”
Elijah looked at Sage’s empty chair beside the garden.
“Missing someone means your heart longs to be with someone you love.”
Sire smiled. “My heart does that.”
Elijah nodded. “So does Sage’s.”
The wind carried the sweet smell of herbs across the meadow. Sire closed his eyes.
“It almost feels like she’s saying hello.”
Elijah smiled. “Maybe she is.”
Far away, Sage placed another bundle of medicinal herbs into her basket. She put her hoof over her heart.
“I’ll be home soon, my sweet Sire.”
“And when I come home... I’ll have wonderful stories to tell.”
Today’s Word: Medicinal
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Medicinal means something that has healing value. Medicinal plants can be used to help people or animals feel better when they are sick.
What does it mean to miss someone?
Have you ever missed someone?
Who do you miss? How does it make you feel?
All of these feelings are okay. Missing someone is part of loving them.
🎨 Draw
Draw Sage gathering medicinal herbs while Sire is waiting for her at the old oak tree. Draw Elijah flying between them, reminding them that love can travel wherever they are.