Nearly everyday we make a trip to the park. Its come to the point now where we cannot walk past one without Reagan pointing and “begging” to make a stop. There are really only two pieces of equipment she’s interested in - the slide and the swing. First she likes to go down the slide a few times. And then she finds the swings.
Last week she scrambled off the slide and began toddling over to the swings. I lifted her up into the baby swing, placed her legs through the appropriate openings, and gave her a push. Reagan is not timid. She doesn’t get scared easily. I haven’t found the point yet where she feels like she is being pushed too high. Her little fingers tightly grips the rubber safety belt in front of her and she squeals as her body goes soaring through the air. She laughs like she can’t breathe - quick sharp inhales of breath till it spills over into a full out laugh. Her light blonde hair streaks behind her as the swing brings her back and forth. Her eyes crinkle in the corners and she scrunches up her nose. She wears a full-blown open mouth smile. She looks at me again and laughs. I give her another gentle push. And then she does the greatest thing. Carefully and slowly she lifts her hands from the portion of the seat in front of her till she isn’t holding onto anything. And as the evening sun got lower in the sky behind her, she tilted her head back, way back, till sunlight glimmers on her face. She closes her eyes and the joyous smile that overtakes her face is too much for me. I laugh.
The swing is just one example of many. You should see the way she splashes in the tub. You’d laugh at how she gets so excited to get up in the morning she actually runs laps around her crib. You’d stop and stare at her when she gets so excited for her fruit snacks she actually dances - stomping her feet up and down rapidly. She never fails to find something worth celebrating - something that brings her great joy. And she teaches me that every single day is made up of a thousand wonderful moments.
Oh to soak up life that way. To find joy in the very simplest things. To be so excited to see someone you run to them with arms outstretched. To giggle at the robin skipping across the lawn. To be less consumed with getting somewhere and more aware of the joys in the journey. To not take a single happiness for granted, but to celebrate each one. How I wish I could be more like her.
xx
2 comments:
i can't lie....i am giddy at snack time also
Jean,
That's sweet. I can just picture your sweet little Reagan laughing and giggling in the purest sense of the words! Kids are such a great reminder about what it means to have "child-like faith".
I just caught myself up on your last few posts and wanted to tell you that I prayed for you. I have definitely wrestled through seasons of apathy and have felt very "tired" of it all, but usually it's when I have committed to too much and therefore spent all my resources on too many things. What's left is often what I try to give the Lord and that's when it hits me, the little pieces hardly seem worth offering. But God is always faithful to reveal Himself to me and show me the things that need to go. I am praying that for you too. I love hearing from your heart, it's what makes you so sweet. Happy Memorial Weekend...hope it's a fun one!
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