When he was small, my youngest son had a habit of filling his pockets with treasures he encountered in his daily adventures. I didn't always understand the value he saw in his chosen objects -- really, how many rocks and sticks could one boy keep? In his eyes, though, each one was beautiful and important. Life is just like that on a larger scale, isn't it? We gather up the precious bits of our experiences and save them all to learn from and enjoy later. Perhaps you'll find a little something here that you'd like to keep in your own pockets. Thanks for visiting.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Taking a moment


The boys and I spend a lot of time at home in the summer, and this year Matt and I decided to put one of those above-ground, soft-sided, steel-framed pools in our backyard. It was a perfect choice; Noah and Will have been splashing and swimming happily in it virtually every day, and I've rarely heard them complain that they're bored these past couple of months. My parents put a pool in at our home when I was young, and I have many fond memories of the summers I passed there with my brothers, enjoying the same kind of water fun that the boys have been loving recently.

Today I had had a frustrating morning, trying to do some school supply shopping with the boys (who were less than thrilled), at a crowded store that didn't have all of the stuff we needed in stock. I decided this afternoon to give up on getting anything productive done, and jumped in our pool with my two happy fish. Something made me remember how we used to make "whirlpools" many years ago at my mom and dad's, all of us running crazily along the outer edge of the pool in the same direction to get a good current going, and then laughing while we tried to swim against it. I proposed the idea to my guys, who immediately jumped on board. They started swimming and jogging furiously with me to get the water moving, and then marvelled at how effortlessly the spinning water carried us along. The time we spent doing this simple activity was pure joy; all three of us laughed and encouraged each other, forgetting about everything except having a good time together.

I'm thankful for these kinds of moments that remind me how glad I am to be home with Noah and Will while they're young and so very full of life. Sometimes it's too easy to get caught up in the never-ending tasks that need doing in a day, to always be looking ahead to what's coming next, not noticing that right now could be a meaningful moment if we would only let it. This afternoon I quickly realized that the school supplies, among other things, could wait. I might not have pencil crayons for the boys yet, but I have a wonderful memory of a sunny summer afternoon spent whole-heartedly engaged with my two amazing sons. Somehow the pencil crayons just don't seem that important anymore.

3 comments:

  1. love this story!
    i remember the whirlpools....good times!
    really enjoyed picturing you and the boys doing this....

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  2. awww beautiful moments last forever! I'm going to cry dropping Nohl off this year! I love your blog Lisa : )

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  3. Frank -- they really were good times! So glad you, Jamie and I shared them together.

    Stacey -- Nohl starts school this year?! Our babies are growing up so quickly!

    Thanks so much for taking the time to read my stories and share your kind comments!

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