It seems as if the simple things of childhood are most remembered later in life. My fondest childhood memories weren't the big birthday productions and the trips to Disneyland (though I did enjoy them). They were the little moments: jumping on the trampoline while we listened to the Beach Boys with dad, picking purple figs that hung over our side of the fence from our neighbor's tree, watching our little strawberry patch grow with mom, and playing "you cannot escape me" when my parents would grab us and tickle us until we couldn't breathe on the bed Saturday mornings.
I'm noticing as a parent, those little moments are so easily overlooked in the business of life. So this Tuesday is about those little moments. Today, we went outside and discovered another glorious day. We found early flowers budding and even in bloom. We looked. We smelled. We picked. We gathered. We arranged. We decorated. We connected. I remembered how amazing my kids are; full of creativity, life, and wonder. How much I adore being their mommy. All the little things I craved and missed after becoming a mother faded into the background. Someday, I will sleep a solid eight hours. Someday, the windows won't have constant smudges on the bottom halves. Someday, vegetables will be eaten without a complaint. Sometimes, it's just good to stop, enjoy, and gather.
