The Small Moments

All my life I've wanted to be a mother, and I truly feel like I am living my dreams by being a wife to my wonderful husband, and mother to my two precious children. In my "previous life," I was many things to many people: daughter, sister, friend, teacher, team-mate, partner-in-crime. I still retain the shadow of all of those things, feel the echo of all those different parts that paved my path to become the woman I am today, and of course there are many facets of my heart that I'm still discovering. But I'm so thankful that I've been given a gift beyond measure: sharing my journey with the three people who love me and know me the best!

In our family I wear many hats. There is much day-to-day drudgery that comes with taking care of a family. I do the shopping, make the meals, clean the house, fold the laundry and maintain the "house." I'm also responsible for correspondence with friends and family- remembering birthdays, buying presents, making holidays "festive." And, of course, I manage all school "stuff." Dropping off, picking up, volunteering in class, and communicating with teachers all fall under my domain. So the way I see it, I'm part custodian, part secretary, and part manger, carefully trying to balance all three (sometimes skillfully, sometimes disasterously). What's my husband doing during all this, you may wonder? He's out working himself to the bone, making it all possible. He "brings home the bacon," gracefully, with a smile on his face, never a complaint, and then jumps into the family fray the moment he comes home to be "daddy."

But my favorite "duty," what makes everything worthwhile, and each day joyous (even the tough days), is that I get to bear witness to the lives of my children and husband. I get to be present, in the moment, seeing the beauty in the day to day. All those "little" things, the seemingly unimportant details that make up a day, are the most precious of moments to me. They pass quickly, you may not even notice them if you're not careful, but all around you are the details, the fibers, the heart of what makes a family (a husband, a wife, a daughter, a son) so miraculously special.

At the end of the day, my prayer of thanks is that I was here today. What these children and this man did, it mattered to me. I hope I can record some of our moments here, so one day, our children will remember how truly treasured they were, and how we never took lightly their company, their ideas, and their spirits.