A Father's Love

I once heard a story, a story of a man
who went out every morning to make footprints in the sand

every day he walked in the same exact line
evey though the tide would wash it all and leave nothing behind
he walked back and forth for hours everyday
but no matter how he tried they always washed away

then one day I asked him why he walked this way
and wasted his time each and everyday

we walked for a while along the sea side
until the man grew tired and sat down with a sigh
then as we sat there resting by the sea
the old man turned and this he said to me

I get up every morning at the break of dawn
and walk along this shore line until the day is gone
because I'm getting older and my children have moved on
and I know that some day soon I'll have to leave them on their own

so everyday I get up and walk this stretch of shore
so that when I'm gone they can be sure
that when they had to much and the world is cold as stone
they can follow my foot steps and find their way back home.