“This is perhaps the greatest legacy we can bestow on our children: the capacity to be enchanted by the quiet gifts of everyday life.â€
- Author Katrina Kenison
I sat on the beach recently, looking out at the water. My kids walked along the shore, knee-deep in the cold water and gentle waves, when a gray seal magically pooped up a few yards away. It was like a small gift of nature, right there. The next day, we were out on a boat, and saw a mother humpback whale and her baby. The baby actually began playing with our boat- it was simply amazing. You can see the video by clicking here.
These may be special events. Yet I get the same pleasure by seeing the birds at our backyard feeder, have a child grab my hand as we walk down the street, or need an extra hug and kiss at bedtime.
I find it’s the small things that really take my breath away. Watching a child sleep- I used to love catching one of my children laughing in their sleep when they were babies- it was like a prize that told me I must be doing an okay job as a Mom. I love seeing their toes, even though they are no longer so little and soft. I am shocked to find that my little baby, now twelve, is almost taller than I am. When did I make this whole new person, and how did he get so big? Who sped up the time/space continuum on me?
The fancy things like vacations are great. But the simple things, like the taste of a fresh picked raspberry or strawberry; corn on the cob in the summertime; the smell of suntan lotion mixed with chlorine in your children’s hair, making them just smell like summer fun. These are the moments of complete pleasure for me, and the moments I will remember always.
I hope I am teaching my children that these things are as much fun, or even more fun than movies and video games. These are the things I want them to remember about growing up.
What do you want your children to remember? What are the moments you hope they carry with them and pass on to their kids in turn?
[tags]kids, children, parents, memory, memories, aging, growth, simple things[/tags]
Photo graciously provided by Sam and Ian, through a Creative Commons license, some rights reserved
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