The sun was setting and the snow was falling as we scampered to our car. Jane’s wide eyes took in the flurry of snowflakes framed by the pink late afternoon sky. Head back, mouth open—she giggled as she caught flakes on her tongue. A sense of wonder took my breath away as I tucked away another memory.
There was nothing extraordinary about the event. It was just another day as we scurried from one place to the next. But for once, I had my wits about me enough to realize this was a moment I wanted to remember.
Amid the unending demands of raising children, parents keep many balls in the air. They have to balance the tasks of home, work, and parenting. There’s never a minute to lose as they chase down that eternal “to-do” list.
And yet it’s true that Life is what happens to us as we’re making other plans. While we chase our tasks at hand, our children grow up before our very eyes. The days simply get away from us if we forget to raise our kids intentionally.
If we can stop the world for ten seconds to truly see what’s happening with our children, we experience a kairos moment—a time which offers a rich opportunity for us and for our children. Recognition of the value of that moment stamps the experience with importance so that it’s stored for all time for us. The image of that instant and all that it contained will be kept in our hearts, too deeply complex for words, but captured instead as a feeling which changes us.
When our children are young, we’re lulled into the misconception that our experience with them goes on forever like an endless highway. But the truth is that our opportunity is fleeting. If we take the time for a few rest stops on the route, to pay attention and honor the magic our children share with us, we’ll have memories to cherish when the road of parenthood reaches its final destination.
Noticing snowflakes reflected in the eyes of an awe-struck child is an excellent investment of our time, and may be the most important thing we do all day.
