I love the busy plans of my eight year old. Sometimes we just need to Get Going or do The Plans and The Things on my list but he’s got his own ideas and just absolutely has to execute those plans. I do try to make time for his plans and not be too flustered with my own ideas and schedule. Almost always there’s time for both, I just have to remember to make the time. To take the time. To take joy.
Today it was needing to tape his little creature to the lightbulb in the bathroom so he can test out the glow in the dark feature. I kept forgetting because I’m an adult now and have turned into my father and kept turning off the light each time I walked by the empty, light on, bathroom. “Who keeps turning my light off!? This is an important experiment!” Sorry, bud!
This was just one of the little ways my heart was filled with joy today.
I love how kids just make themselves at home. We’ve had a few run-ins with people who have never met children apparently who thought our little boy was incredibly rude and parented poorly because he sat in a chair at their home. So that really messed me up as a new mom for a while. But in recent encounters and in my own observation of my very considerate and kind boy, I’m finding such joy in learning from kids and their ability to make themselves at home. Isn’t it so great to feel at home? It’s how I want people to feel with me and in our home when we host. So I’ve been quietly observing our now eight year old interact with others and see the response. If he feels safe and happy, he just goes for it. He knows this place is for him, these people are for him, and he’s welcome. So he walks in to the church office and says “Thanks! I’ll make myself at home!” That’s awesome.
I’m feeling like making myself more at home in the places I go, too. He teaches me how to be fun, kind, take up space and enjoy myself.
I love the way my kiddo ministers to me.
As we walked out together after my ladies Bible study, he grabbed my hand and said “Mama, I have that song we’ve been singing together for morning basket time stuck in my head. Wanna sing it with me?” and we begin with Victory in Jesus down the hall.
Another joy.
Tonight we had time for a family hike and I just highly recommend it. Especially in the autumn.
All said, it was about 1.5 hours. I used to think creating the best memories and the most wonderful family time had to be all day extravaganzas. But now I know it’s actually sometimes the smallest part of the day makes the most impact in our hearts and into our family memory bank.
We all just breathe deeper and feel a little freer. We found hanging vines to swing from and pretend to be Tarzan and I walked to the water at exactly the right moment to see beautiful ripples on the pond. I love going out into nature knowing that these things are happening whether I am there to witness it or not. And that incredible grateful feeling of being able to witness it for just a little while and have special surprises out there just for me and my time there. Miracles all around me.
The sound of our son laughing as he runs wild and crunches through the leaves. A great joy. We hear the little remembrance of his younger voice just coming in for the first time. And every stage in between. Growing stronger and greater with each passing year. Talk about miracle.
Greatest joy.
A simple day.
