Little Moments

That adorable giggle… the suggestion “we can share dat” anytime I sit down with a snack… the announcement “we can snuggle togeder, Mama”… sitting together with (A) on the upstairs couch for a few minutes of uninterrupted conversation about our day before (a) discovers we have escaped the “rodeo arena”….  Just a few of the reoccurring little moments that regularly happen in our home.

Sometimes it is easy for me to get caught up worrying about the bigger, more visible moments.  Our kiddo embarrassed us at the Christmas play, he refused to show my family his “Big Brother” shirt that was supposed to be our baby announcement to them, we never seem to get the posed picture I want, he refused to talk to Santa at the school program…. I could go on and on JUST about the things that happened last month. 

However, I’m SLOWLY realizing that the best parts of our life aren’t found in those visible “posed picture” moments, they aren’t happening at once a year events.  Those are fun and special, don’t get me wrong.  But the largest, and probably most important parts of life, are happening in those little moments. 

As we played in the snow this past weekend I couldn’t get enough of that giggle (that turns into a cackle) as he threw snowballs at me.  And I found myself torn between wanting to get out my camera and record that face and sound so I can keep it forever… and wanting to put down the camera and just savor the moment.  (I ended up doing some of both!)  I realized these are the little moments that are shaping who he is and what he remembers. 

Looking back on my own childhood, yes I remember church Christmas plays, and family photo moments… but the little moments that made me who I am were days spent together in the barn, family dinners around the table, piling together with my sisters on the floor pillows to watch our favorite animated movie for the 1,327^th time.  Those little moments framed my life, the visible, public moments where just small parts of the bigger pictures.

And during the part of the snow playing where I did have my camera out, I debated whether or not to take a picture of us together.  I have heard so much debate about are you a good mom or not if you take selfies with your children… are you using your child as a “picture prop”… etc, etc.  And I also knew full well that I had not put on any make-up or done anything with my hair that day… but as we laughed and played together, I couldn’t resist- I took the picture.  Because I want to remember the joy it brings us both to play together, and he won’t be little forever, and I want him to someday have pictures WITH me instead of me always being the one behind the camera.  That picture of the two of us with my messy hair and no make-up was one of my favorites from the day.  He was SO happy to be enjoying that little moment together. 

That evening I willingly shared my cucumber snack “wif” him when he asked, and his sweet daddy and I shared some laughs and frustrations about our day during the few minutes we snuck away from the “rodeo arena.”

I think it’s true… those little moments really are the BIG parts of life.  Thank you, Lord, for being in the gentle whispers of life.

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.  And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.”  1 Kings 19: 11-13