Little Leo the lion cub was getting ready for bed. His mama was tucking him in, and he yawned a big, sleepy yawn. “Mama,” he mumbled, “Grandpa says he loves me *forever*. But… how long *is* forever?”
Mama Lion smiled. “That’s a very good question, Leo. Forever is a very, very long time. Longer than all the naps you’ve ever taken, longer than all the games of chase you’ll ever play.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “Longer than *all* of them? Even longer than when I grow up and have a big mane like Papa?”
“Even longer than that,” Mama Lion chuckled. “But forever isn’t just about a really, really big number of things. It’s about all the little things, too. It’s about this snuggle right now, and the story I’m going to read you, and the dreams you’ll have tonight.”
Leo wiggled. “But how can little things make forever?”
“Well,” Mama Lion explained, “imagine a tiny grain of sand. One grain doesn’t seem like much, does it? But if you collect lots and lots of grains of sand, you can build a beautiful castle! Each little moment, each little hug, each little ‘I love you’ is like a grain of sand. They all add up to forever.”
Leo thought about this. He remembered building sandcastles with his Papa on the beach. Each handful of sand *did* make the castle bigger and stronger. “So, if I have lots of good moments, forever will be full of good things?”
“Exactly!” Mama Lion kissed his forehead. “And the best part is, you can *make* those good moments. By being kind, by being brave, by being loving. Every time you share a smile, you’re adding a grain of sand to your forever.”
Leo snuggled closer to his mama. He thought about all the fun he had today – playing with his sister, helping Papa gather berries, and listening to Grandpa tell stories. Those were all good grains of sand.
“Mama,” he said sleepily, “I think I understand. Forever isn’t just a long time… it’s a lot of good times all together.”
“That’s right, my little Leo,” Mama Lion whispered. “And right now, this moment, is a very good time. Let’s cherish it.” She began to read him a story about a little star who twinkled forever and ever, and Leo drifted off to sleep, dreaming of all the wonderful grains of sand he would collect tomorrow.