My 4-year-old son Gavin is so good about saying his prayers at night and at nap time. I always enjoy listening in on what he is thanking Jesus for or asking him for. Sometimes he has marathon prayers that last 10 minutes and other nights his requests fly out of his mouth so fast they'd win the Kentucky Derby.

Tonight was one of those extended editions. He always begins his prayers the same way…

"Dear Jesus,

Please help Mommy and Daddy, Gavin and Ethan, Granny and Paw, Nanny and Paw, Grandma and Grandpaw, Granny Bert, Brady and his mom." Then, we go through a list of everyone he knows and doesn't know, including the lady in the checkout line at Winn Dixie or the man we walked by on the way to the car.

Next, he throws in the events of the day…

"And the leaves Mommy piled up that Ethan jumped in, and I ran my dump truck through. Maybe you can pick those back up for Mommy. She wasn't very happy. And please help those little ants I stepped on and jumped on and ran over with my truck too."

Tonight he threw in a couple of surprises that I couldn't help but giggle at…

"And please make it so I can go to Disney World. Oh, and see Santa because he's a real cool guy. I love you, Jesus. Amen."

Kids are so funny to listen to, but it just reminds me how pure their tiny hearts are and how great it must be to only worry about piles of leaves and meeting Santa Claus. Everyday, I look at my boys and pray I can protect them from all those things that would dash away their innocent little imaginations and spirits.

Everyday is a new start for those little ones – a new adventure. And, inevitably will provide a whole new list of people and things to pray for each night that us grown ups might just forget about. Who says ants don't have feelings anyway?

To be 4 again…

Eva Faircloth is a former newspaper editor who resides in Loxley with her husband, Lee, and their two sons, Gavin and Ethan. She can be reached at eva@cyrisoft.com.