The definition of a good day
Some days all you can hope for are the small moments, the small victories.
On Saturday, I babysat for two of my granddaughters, Addi and Emma, 21 months and 7 months, respectively. It had been a long time since my own daughters were that age, and even then they weren’t that close in age.
I found out on Saturday I had some things to relearn about children, like how if one child was holding a toy, that’s the exact toy the other child wanted, and how children seem to have a conspiracy that they won’t nap at the same time. I had forgotten that.
But my granddaughters and I did have lots of fun together this weekend. We talked and sang and jumped and walked (actually I carried Emma). We read books and climbed stairs and tossed blocks, and I tried to interpret the language of little children. Needless to say, I was worn out a bit when nap time came. I wasn’t even sure if I could get both girls down for naps at the same time, but I did.
As the girls slept, I rested on the couch, ready for my own nap and pretty proud of my accomplishments. The house looked a mess, but I had happy and contented granddaughters. Sometimes, it’s nice to cherish the small victories.
I thought about those years when my own daughters were preschoolers, and I considered it an amazingly good day if I had even a few minutes to think about something other than Cheerios and missing puzzle pieces and finding socks that matched.
Back in those days, I came to the realization that not everything will go as I planned and that life was about flexibility and not being overwhelmed by the challenges. I learned to cherish the small moments and victories in life, like the smiles and hugs of loved ones, the warmth of sunshine on my face, the shelter of a home.
If I had even a couple of those moments in a day, then I could go to bed at night a thankful person, knowing my day was far from wasted. My successes weren’t measured anymore by the to-do list in my head.
It’s been a very eventful past few weeks for my family. We’ve had a lot of joy; we’ve had a lot of sorrow.
And in those sorrowful days, I’ve been reminded again about the merit and beauty of the small moments of life, of families sitting together in the living room and remembering, of just being together.
I like seeing and experiencing the strength that comes from those small moments.
As in all families, I know the tough seasons of life can’t be avoided, whether it’s in the form of a death, a job loss or health problem, and I could go on and on. There’s no denying the fact we are living some stressful days.
But in the chaos of the cluttered living rooms of our lives, I still think there can be small moments of calm and beauty and joy to experience and appreciate.
Now, that’s what I call a good day.
