Living in the Small

I remember being young and curling up in mounds of blankets and stuffed animals to watch the thunderstorms pound our town.  Lightening would split open the sky and I would smile.  I don’t love being outside in storms, but I sure love to watch them bundled up in a dark and quiet corner.

My city has had no shortages of storms this spring, and I’ve tried to show my kids the beauty in them.  We watch our pool fill up to the brim and the trees waving in the wind, and we listen to “God bowling” as the thunder pounds outside.

There are small moments I love.

Window washers.  I love listening to my office windows being cleaned once a quarter with their swish-swish-swish.

Storms at daybreak.  Hearing the crackle of storms roll in before sunrise while still cocooned in bed.

Swimming.  That moment when your entire body makes it underwater and the noise goes quiet until you burst through on the other side of the pool.

I haven’t written a lot lately.  Primarily because I’ve been living lots of small moments and haven’t taken the time to sit in front of my computer.

I’m reading pure fiction which means I don’t have fresh blog ideas, and I’m not going on trips or attending/speaking at conferences, so I just work and hang with my family.

I loved this week of small moments.  We went to the baseball game Thursday.  We ate ice cream and cheered for the Astros and they won.  Little bit and I went to a birthday party on Saturday while the boys scavenged an estate sale.  We went to a family reunion on Sunday and the kids swam while the grown ups sat watching them and catching up.

But my favorite was Monday.  We’re not normally home for Memorial Day.  We travel to the farm.  But this year, Bray was out of town, so the fearsome foursome were on our own.  We went to the neighborhood pool and the kids dove for coins with dozens of other neighbor kids.  We bought daddy a surprise early birthday present of a new grill (which he loves!).

And then we came home.  And we swam in our backyard.  And we ate sliders and fries and watermelon on the patio.  And we had cannonball competitions.  And we laughed and got pink noses and sore legs.

I struggled watching kindergarten end, feeling like it was all moving too fast.  But this past week slowed down.  I feel like we’re all on summer speed.  And we’re doing less and we don’t rush and we’re drinking in the absence of schedule and pressure.

Even though I’m still going to work, I’ve slowed down.  I’m soaking up this summer season.  I laid in bed with each of the kids last night to listen to their recap of the day.  I kissed their warm cheeks and told them how special they each were to me.

I’m in no rush.  I don’t have anywhere to be.  I don’t have any big trip to plan or party to host.  I’m just living each small moment to capacity while I can.

Here’s hoping you get some time to live in the small moments of life this summer.  You may see a little less of me here, but I promise to pop in from time to time to say hello.