Yesterday was a big day for our family. We had a carnival after school, a soccer game (our turn to bring snacks), an eyelash appointment 😉 and bought a car. Somehow we were also planning to get the boys in bed by 8:00 PM.
I probably don’t need to tell you that didn’t quite work out as planned.
It’s a long story, but we’ve been a one car family for almost a month. Uber has become a close friend. Last night was the line in the sand, we needed to replace our car and it finally happened.
But not before 10:15 PM.
I was driving home with the boys and we were all sleepy. We were talking about the plan of action for walking in the door. We’d grab a quick snack then head straight to the bathroom to quickly complete the bedtime routine and plop into bed.
That didn’t happen either.
We pulled in the driveway and one of my sons noticed the incredibly clear, beautiful starry night. So we all walked out to see. It was stunning. We started naming shapes and patterns. We saw lions, some dippers, the man in the moon, and one incredibly bright star. We wondered how big that one star must have been to be so insanely bright.
It instantly brought back memories of my childhood and teenage years in Oklahoma. The sky seemed bigger there. Out on country roads, even in my backyard, there weren’t any other lights. I turned to tell the boys how I used to lay out in the road, under the stars and . . .
They were laying on the driveway looking up, with wide eyes and big smiles on their faces.
It warmed my heart. And for a moment, it didn’t matter that it was after 10 o’clock, on a school night. The only thing that mattered was connecting with them in that moment. Engaging their wonder and awe of the universe. We made a connection that could never have been manufactured or planned.
It was only possible in that, exact moment.
After a few minutes, they decided they were exhausted and ready to come inside. What happened next was chaotic, draining and not-so-fun, to say the least. That’s the part I was planning to share with you this morning, but I think I’ll stop here. We can talk about why things are heavy when you’re tired another day.
I wonder if today, you’d consider looking up at the stars in your world.
What’s happening in this moment, that might not ever happen this way again? What would happen if you gave 5 minutes of your time to engage in some unexpected way?
Sure, it might not fit into your schedule. Choosing to live life rarely does.
It might be inconvenient. It might make your kids tired and cranky afterwards. It might make you a little tired and cranky afterwards.
But it just might be worth it.
You just might create a moment in time that will never come again.
The best things in life aren’t free and they don’t always come easy. The very best things cost your time, your energy, your love and sometimes even your sleep. But once you’ve figured out what the best things really are, you realize they’re not things at all.
They’re people.
Love them today. Do something today that will matter to someone tomorrow.
And the next day, and the days and years after that.
Make a difference.
It’s all that matters.
To more love,
Crystal
