Ordinary and beautiful moments with my daughter

Dear Readers, “At the end of the day, people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” Today's blog is inspired by this well-known passage from Maya Angelou. One morning this week, Evie and I ventured downtown to our local park. We had a little time before lunchtime and her afternoon nap, so time on the playground swing seemed perfect. That day the sun was shining (not an everyday occurrence), and the air had a crispness as we were right on the verge of fall. The little playground is often quite busy, and the swings are usually occupied during the weekends, so I try to take advantage as much as possible during the week. There was a father and his toddler playing on the slide but besides that, we had the entire playground to ourselves. I placed Evie in the infant swing, and I sat next to her on the adult swing so we could experience this together. I slowly started pushing her back and forth and a smile lit up her face. After a few minutes, she reached out her right hand. It was likely to re-grip the rope handle, but I took the opportunity to hold her hand. These next few minutes are some of the most memorable moments since she was born. We swung in unison back and forth... It felt good to be silly and act like a kid again. I remember Evie had a smile on her face that enhanced by the sunshine. There were no kids running around us and for that moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the world. I looked over at her and felt such a sense of peace and content in my life. For the next few moments, I thought about how special these times were and to embrace them. Time is a thief after all. If you've been following my blog journey since the beginning, you'll know that becoming a mother much less a stay-at-home working mother took some adjustment and didn't always come naturally. Though I may not remember that this was a morning in September or that it happened in our downtown playground, I will remember her smile and the overwhelming warmth I felt when my young daughter squeezed my hand on the swings in that empty playground. A few tears filled my eyes under my sunglasses as I walked to the car. When I look back on this blog, I'll be reminded of how I felt when I thought I was losing myself in motherhood. That was so hard. And really hurt. But then I'll be reminded of these small and beautiful moments that happened because of those lifestyle adjustments we've made. Nothing was lost, after all.