By Michele C. Priester
Jeremy slurped down the last of his milk from the bottom of his cereal bowl. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and jumped down from the table. "Mommy, how much do you love me?" he asked.
"I love you more than the tallest tree and taller," she answered.
"Oh," said Jeremy, and he ran out to play. While outside, he searched for the tallest tree. He looked everywhere but couldn't find a single tree. There were some scraggly bushes, but that was all.
I think I'll swing instead, he thought. He started to swing, pumping his legs and arms as hard and fast as he could. Soon, Jeremy heard the screen door slam. His mommy was headed toward the clothesline with a basket of wet clothes. Jeremy slowed down his pumping and jumped off the swing. He ran toward his mother.
"Mommy," Jeremy asked. "How much do you love me?"
"I love you more than the highest mountain and higher," she answered.
Jeremy smiled and skipped upstairs to look out the window to find the highest mountain. But he didn't see any mountains at all, just houses that didn't seem very high at all.
During dinner, Jeremy asked once again, "How much do you love me?"
"I love you more than the brightest star and brighter," answered his mother.
Jeremy grinned as he sipped his last sip of milk.
After his bath, Jeremy searched the night sky for the brightest star. But it was raining, and there weren't any stars to be seen. There was a sudden flash of lightning, and that startled him.
Jeremy was quiet as his mother tucked him in that evening. "What's wrong?" his mother asked. "You haven't asked a single question since dinner."
"Mother," he began, "I looked outside for the tallest tree but all I saw were scraggly bushes. I looked for the highest mountain but all I could find were short houses; and I tried to find the brightest star, but all I could see was a scary bolt of lightning. If that's all that you love me, I don't think you love me at all."
Jeremy's mother stroked his blond hair as she gently kissed him on the cheek. "You sleep well tonight. Tomorrow I will show you how much I love you."
The next day, Jeremy and his mom packed a picnic lunch. They got into the car and drove and drove and drove. Soon they came upon a big sign.
"What does that sign say, Mommy?" Jeremy asked.
"It says REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK," she answered.
"Wow!" hollered Jeremy as he raced among the tallest trees he had ever seen. "These trees can almost touch the sky. You must really love me a lot." All day long, they played alongside the giant trees and ate their picnic lunch.
As night approached, Jeremy and his mom drove home a different way than Jeremy could ever remember going before. They drove a long, long time. When the sky was almost all dark, they came to a stop.
"Let's get out here a moment," Jeremy's mom said. "I want to show you how much I love you."
Jeremy's eyes widened as he looked down at the city lights.
"Where are we?" he asked.
"We are on top of the highest mountain. This is how much I love you. Look up there," his mommy said, pointing her hand towards the night sky. "Can you find the brightest star?"
The sky was full of stars dancing and twinkling. They were so bright and so close that Jeremy felt as if he could reach up and grab one.
"Mommy, they are all so bright. I could never find the brightest one."
Jeremy slept on the way back to the city. He woke again while his mother was tucking him into bed. Quickly, while she was above him, he tried to think of something taller than the tallest tree, bigger than the biggest mountain, and brighter than the brightest star. He thought and thought, but it was hard. He had slept through his usual bedtime snack, and his rumbling tummy sort of distracted him. Finally, Jeremy looked at his mother with half-opened eyes and quietly whispered, "I love you, Mommy. I love you more than the tallest tree, more than the biggest mountain, and more than the brightest star. In fact, I love you more than the tastiest peanut butter and jelly sandwich!"
His mother laughed, and Jeremy smiled and quickly fell to sleep.
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