Originally broadcast on CHED radio - Date unknown

She flopped down on the chesterfield and heaved a great tired sigh of relief. She was tired… so tired she felt she couldn't face another day. All three of them had been monsters since the moment they rolled out of bed at 6:30 that morning. The second youngest got up first and proceeded immediately to wake the baby, who began screaming for his breakfast… and screamed for half an hour until it was ready. And then it began. The two oldest were at it all day long. They fought over toys… they fought at the table… by fought about who had the best trike… they fought until you’d think they were mortal enemies instead of brothers… the products of a happy home and well-adjusted parents. There had been three skinned knees…four peonies dug out of the neighbors garden… a broken window… a broken spoke in the front wheel of the oldest new bike… a glass of spilled milk all over the clean tablecloth. Three times she searched the neighborhood for them, to bring them home to meals they didn't like and wouldn't eat without a full hour of threats, begging's and near bloodshed. When they came in off the street to go to bed, their clothes were jet black with fresh tar off the new hardtop… there was sand in their hair… and every inch of exposed skin was blacker than the ace of spades. How could they get so dirty? Three separate outfits they’d worn that day and the wash hamper was loaded again. But now, finally, after threats of violence, they had apparently fallen asleep. She rested for a moment… wondered if it was all worth it… wondered if hers were extra bad kids or just normal. Then she raised her tired body out of the chair, and returned to the bathroom to clean up the mess left from three grimy baths. Clothes went into the hamper… socks too… towels, a bit shady, but good enough for one more day, went back on the rack… the bathmat back in place, and then she picked them up… three pairs of small, worn, canvas shoes, laces broken… heels crushed from small feet pushing into the shoes without unlacing them… soles thin and all three pair - dirty as sin. She looked at them… shook her head and then she heard it… a warm, kind, understanding voice that seemed to spring from the very soul of her… and it said Dash "those little feet have so far to go." Those little feet have so far to go. Her eyes filled with tears… a slight smile cropped over her face and a great overwhelming love enveloped her… and she crept silently upstairs to cover them and to kiss them in their sleep.