Guardians (short story inspired by Don Miskel's photo)

I can be patient and calm. I can wait for him to grow and mature into a decent sensible adult. I can impart on him my pearls of wisdom, and hope that a fragment of what I am saying sinks in and makes a change. I can inspire and build hope and optimism. I can ensure that his life is full of fun and meaningful encounters that will shape the person that he is to become. I will give him adventure and fill his world with wonderful moments that will last forever. I will also show him fear, make him scared, angry. He needs this as much as he needs the good stuff. After all, there would be no good in the world if there was no evil to counter balance it.

My role, as Guardian, has always been to shape the future. There are some of us who are better than others, but our goal is to shape the bigger picture. Not the individual. To mould the future of the whole planet.

They know the future, they have seen it. They have pre-programmed us with our instructions. We don’t have a list of guidelines to follow. There are no company policies and procedures that point us in the right direction. Ours is just to hope that the pre-programming is good enough to see us through. We are left to our own devices to find our way and reach the goal through trial and error.

I know I have a limited amount of time to instil all that is expected of me. A limited time for this most important of all jobs. After that as my Ward gains independence, my role as Guardian will become redundant, and my ability to shape the future is no longer applicable. After that, my Ward will have to stand on his own two feet and find his own inspiration. It is a very large responsibility that we have.

They have programmed us to take the moments of anger and frustration, and to ride the tide until such moments are calm again. From this, lessons are to be learnt. My Ward must maintain a measure of control, but must also learn the hard lesson of defeat, and learn to take it graciously. His is to a life of wonder and new dreams. His is to be a life filled with love.

I watch my Ward every moment I have. I hope I have given him the tools he needs to shape his future. I worry that what I have done is enough. Although I am, as Guardian, in the body of a child, my limited time will be time well spent.