Happy

Be happy for this moment.  

This moment is your life.

~Omar Khayyam

How often do I find myself wrapped up in the silly little things?

The laundry that needs to be done, the beds not made, the toys that have overtaken the family room. 

I can feel the stress rise. 

My blood pressure goes up, as the words spew from my mouth. 

"Clean up the mess!" 

"Put those toys away!"

"Let's go! Let's go! C'mon let's go!"

I'm in a hurry. A hurried and harried state, where I lose who am I. I don't like this person. I realize it and I need to change. 

Who am I kidding? 

Does any of this little stuff matter? 

Will they notice if their clothes lie an extra day in their laundry basket? 

Will they remember if their beds were neatly made every day? 

Will they remember the organizational bins mommy put in the living room to try and keep things in order?

The answer is simple. 

No 

and neither will I. 

I will remember those silly faces,  

running through the waves,

those quiet moments of reflection, 

the disappearance of the baby as the little girl emerges,  

the cuddles, smiles, and joy in the moment. 

Be happy for this moment

This:

loud, 

excited, 

enthusiastic, 

energetic, 

crazy, 

fun filled, 

enjoyable 

moment, 

because this moment, 

this madness

 is life!

Sometimes it's not so easy

Don’t try to steer the river. 

~Deepak Chopra

Racing through the gate, they run in different directions. Climbing, sliding, playing, their laughter echos through the mid day air.

Spying the swings, she stops mid step, her focus on the girls already seated. Pumping their legs, high, higher, higher they swing.

Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.

She looks to me and I offer a reassuring smile.

"Why don't you try Mo?" I ask. "You can do it. Just try."

"Oh No Mommy. I can't do it." she insists, walking over to me. "You know. I can't do it. I just don't know how to do it. It's too hard."

The frustration is clear.

She wants to be like the big girls. I watch, intently from my post at the picnic table, offering bits and pieces of advice.

"Lean back a bit".

"In then out".

"Relax!"

Her body is rigid. Her legs too tense as her face wrings with concentration. Her arms hold onto the metal chain for dear life.

"I just can't do it!" she sobs. "Please. Please help me mommy."

Against my better judgement,  I rise and head over to the swing beside her.

"Watch mommy, babe" I offer. "I pump by legs in and lean forward a bit. Then lean back and my legs go out straight, do you see?"

Her focus is intense, as she studies me.

Back and forth.
Back and forth.
Back and forth.

"Okay, mommy. I think I got it." she replies.

Again, the rigid, tense body fails her and upon leaning back, she looses her balance and collapses onto the wood chips.

Beaten.
Distraught.
Done.

Gathering her up in my arms, I whisper in her ear, "It's okay. I think we're done for the day. Let's go home."

"No! No!" she sobs, "I want to pump my legs. I want to swing like a big kid. I can do it."

The tears stream down her red cheeks.

Her insistence is to be admired, but the heat coupled with our time at the park leads me to continue walking.

"We'll come back again." I promise, "I know you will learn how to swing. I just know it in my heart."

It takes a few more tries, a few more failures, but alas, she figures it out.

She masters it on her own, as it should be.

Sometimes the hardest part of parenthood is learning when to sit back. Learning when to be an observer and learning when to let the river flow on it's own.

Hugs in the Sun

To some, the in-law relationship is strained. 

I have heard horror stories. I have seen the movies. I have read the vents, the blog posts, the facebook statuses and the like. 

Somehow, some way, I lucked out. 

Not only did I get a mother in law whom I enjoy and appreciate, whom gets along with my own parents, but the best part is my children got a grandmother whom loves, dotes, spoils and adores them unconditionally. 

How lucky are we? 

Plus, it doesn't hurt our relationship that she lives at the beach and welcomes us with open arms. 

Today is Good. 

Today is Fun. 

Tomorrow is another one.

-Dr. Seuss