Who knew that boys in their early teens were still interested in gingerbread houses? A mama can hope, but these days, that hope gets dashed at times by swings of emotion or apathy, and things don’t turn out quite the way I imagine they might.
But this was one of my favorite recent moments by far.
The boys were hanging out at the house when I had to make a dog food run to the grocery store. When I saw the gingerbread house kits, my heart sunk a little and I tried not to get my hopes up. (Which is a whole other blog) We’ve decorated them nearly every year, but I had a feeling they wouldn’t be interested this year. Especially while they had a friend over. I picked them up anyway, thinking that if they gave the thumbs down, I would share them with the neighbors.
When I walked in, I told them I had a surprise.
They shrieked with excitement. (I think it was more about the sugar than the gingerbread house, but I’ll take it either way!) They got up, almost immediately and joined me in the kitchen for more than a solid hour, laughing, joking, sneaking bites of icing, and mouths full of candy the entire time. I took about 100 photos and laughed until my cheeks and stomach hurt.
It brought me so much joy to watch them.
It brought me joy for so many reasons, but mostly because those moments of childlike joy and laughter seem to be fleeting of late. Sure, they still laugh and have fun, but they’re mixed in with so many other big feeling moments I don’t treasure them the way I should. But in that moment, we were there. All in. No distractions. Just us, a spread of sugar, and loads of laughter.
I’m so grateful for that moment.
My heart was especially ready for it after our “Holiday Ready” Girls Night Out was focused on ways to have more time and less stress this holiday season. During my portion of the night, I shared 3 unexpected ways to save time and worry less. The last one was “loving well”, by finding ways to do the necessary things like shopping, addressing cards, wrapping, etc. . . with the people you love, instead of in isolation.
It makes a difference.
“You’ll save time when you turn the mundane, into time for loving the ones who matter most.” I closed by sharing this poem, and it couldn’t be more fitting than to pair with this photo of teenage boys making gingerbread houses – by a mama who rejoices in these moments because she tends to fear they are passing way too quickly . . .
Time is:
Too slow for those who wait.
Too swift for those who fear.
Too long for those who grieve.
Too short for those who rejoice.
But for those who love, time is: Eternity.
~ William Shakespeare
What is time for you today?
I have a feeling it’s all of those things at once.
The only way to make it stand still is to love well.
Find some moments to be ALL in this week. (It’s easier than you think.)
After all ~ that’s what time is for.
to more love,
Crystal
