“It’s nap time,” I said as I encouraged A onto the bed.
A replied with a silly, “Let’s play hide and seek!”
“It’s nap time. Play hide and seek with your eyeballs…ready…close them.” I replied quickly and playfully. Laughter rapidly commenced. Being her mama is so much fun, most of the time- she usually thinks I’m funny. These moments happen around here a lot, bits of silliness and laughter sprinkled through our days. It’s not all laughter and giggles here all the time though. Sometimes, if I’m being honest, there’s more tantrums and power struggles than play and laughter. It’s all part of this season of her childhood – learning lessons, boundary pushing and becoming her own little person. Even though it’s trying, it’s a lot easier to try and find humor in it all. As transparent as I am, it’s hard to not laugh at some of her quirky little sassy sayings even it’s not always the best thing for her to be saying or doing. I often marvel at the tiny human she’s becoming filled with humor, smarts and sass. I want nothing more than my children to know how much I love them and delight in them. I want to encourage the little people they are growing up to be instead of squandering their little spirits.
Days are smoother and the energy of the house is more joyous when I let go of the stress and ride the day’s wave of what is coming and going throughout our days. The days that I wrap myself into the stress of housework, things not working like they should or the ideals I try to box our days into, the house is off and no one breathes as easily as they should. I’m counting down until nap time or bed time, I’m less patient and less tolerant of childlike playful behavior. I become someone I don’t like. Sometimes I can leave the mood right in that moment and “shake it off” figuratively, or literally actually – we do have a lot of silly dance parties around here to make the mood a fresh start – but sometimes I make it until the end of the day, lay in bed and thank God that tomorrow is a new day with new mercies and I have two sweet babes that model the definition of grace because I know I wasn’t at my best that day.
When I find myself in the days I love the most, the ones where I find humor in the quirks and silliness and I breathe it all in for exactly what it is everything is a bit better. The days are smoother, my house is happier and I appreciate, truly appreciate the day I’ve been given. I praise God for the family that I’ve been given, the go-with-the-flow free-spirited attitude I’ve been given and this life I’ve been blessed with. The days I truly am present and live in the moment are the best ones. I’ve been blessed with the ability to move from situation to situation without things lingering around and be present in the now and the new, for a larger portion of my days.
They say laughter is the best medicine and I can’t help but believe that with my whole self because laughing until your belly hurts feels so good in every single kind of way. Laughing is my favorite. It makes me feel lighter and my soul feel brighter. Finding joy in each moment, instead of nitpicking them apart, is so much more worth my energy. I’m grateful I have more of these days than not, but I’m thankful for grace when I fall short.
So, I’m going to keep laughing and loving in the moments I’m given because the days are fleeting. I want my children’s childhoods filled with silliness, goodness and laughter. I want to encourage my babies to love big and laugh often savoring each moment they are given, trusting more and worrying less. I’m going to take more blurry, joy filled photos documenting these moments worrying less about perfection and worrying more about the happiness in them. I want to look back on this life when my babies are grown and my memory is failing me and remember that I lived this life well. Full of a lot of love and a lot of laughter.
