"Enjoy the little things in life because one day you will look back and realize they were the big things." Kristina
My dear friend and neighbor is hosting a bridal shower for her soon-to-be daughter in law. I'm trying to be as helpful as I can to my friend who is always prepared and organized way before any deadline.
At last, I can help. She needs more chairs and I know where she keeps them in a basement closet. I head down the stairs and as I turn the corner on the stairs, I get a glimpse of the basement family room, stop, and get a lump in my throat.
I came down these stairs many more times when our children were young. My four year old was a regular visitor at Tammy's house. For all those years, when I turned that stair corner, my first glimpse was of a giant children's playroom. Somehow, I'd forgotten how time had passed, and this is what I expected on this night. But it wasn't so. The first glimpse was of a brown leather, very adult looking couch, and this is what made me freeze.
Same action, same mindset, I'd been doing for years; but oh how things had changed. Strangely, my perception of time hadn't changed. The expectation of what the room was like had frozen in time. It was just another day when I was running down the stairs to pick up five year old, or eight year old, or ten year old Paloma, who was downstairs playing with Becca, Chris and William. My subconscious memory of turning that corner was fifteen years in the past--but reality was the present.
I hope I've enjoyed all the little things in the past. When children would slip their little hands into mine; when dinner was sitting in front of the high chair; first steps and giggles. Dropping the children off for the first day of junior high, first dates, break-ups, girls acting silly. Indeed they were small things then, but today they truly are the big things. The milestones of happiness. Running down those stairs to call Paloma home was a little thing; yet today, the reminder of the swift passage of time-- indeed a BIG thing.
The challenge continues and feeling the sacredness of time on Tammy's stair landing reminded me of the little things that would always become "the big things." So yesterday as Tony and I biked, I noticed the fresh plowed rows of dirt, reveled that on the first beautiful spring day, the whole city seemed to be on the bike path or in the surrounding parks and yards. I treasured the moments we had at our half-way destination: our daughter's house. I completely felt the presence and curiosity of the one year old I hoisted onto my neck on our short walk-enjoyed how he stuck his mini-fingertips into the holes on the stop sign post. Loved the diorama Max was painting, loved the personality of Annika when she returned from a birthday party. Each thing so small, but when enjoyed and savored, they will become the things remembered. The big things.
My dear friend and neighbor is hosting a bridal shower for her soon-to-be daughter in law. I'm trying to be as helpful as I can to my friend who is always prepared and organized way before any deadline.
At last, I can help. She needs more chairs and I know where she keeps them in a basement closet. I head down the stairs and as I turn the corner on the stairs, I get a glimpse of the basement family room, stop, and get a lump in my throat.
I came down these stairs many more times when our children were young. My four year old was a regular visitor at Tammy's house. For all those years, when I turned that stair corner, my first glimpse was of a giant children's playroom. Somehow, I'd forgotten how time had passed, and this is what I expected on this night. But it wasn't so. The first glimpse was of a brown leather, very adult looking couch, and this is what made me freeze.
Same action, same mindset, I'd been doing for years; but oh how things had changed. Strangely, my perception of time hadn't changed. The expectation of what the room was like had frozen in time. It was just another day when I was running down the stairs to pick up five year old, or eight year old, or ten year old Paloma, who was downstairs playing with Becca, Chris and William. My subconscious memory of turning that corner was fifteen years in the past--but reality was the present.
I hope I've enjoyed all the little things in the past. When children would slip their little hands into mine; when dinner was sitting in front of the high chair; first steps and giggles. Dropping the children off for the first day of junior high, first dates, break-ups, girls acting silly. Indeed they were small things then, but today they truly are the big things. The milestones of happiness. Running down those stairs to call Paloma home was a little thing; yet today, the reminder of the swift passage of time-- indeed a BIG thing.
The challenge continues and feeling the sacredness of time on Tammy's stair landing reminded me of the little things that would always become "the big things." So yesterday as Tony and I biked, I noticed the fresh plowed rows of dirt, reveled that on the first beautiful spring day, the whole city seemed to be on the bike path or in the surrounding parks and yards. I treasured the moments we had at our half-way destination: our daughter's house. I completely felt the presence and curiosity of the one year old I hoisted onto my neck on our short walk-enjoyed how he stuck his mini-fingertips into the holes on the stop sign post. Loved the diorama Max was painting, loved the personality of Annika when she returned from a birthday party. Each thing so small, but when enjoyed and savored, they will become the things remembered. The big things.