Moments to Live For
Its the small things really that matter. As a dad a lot of "those" moments come when I'm playing with my kids. Sometimes I can recognize them as they happen and for a second its as if the world stops and everything seems right.
Today was an anomaly this Spring which is to say we could play outside without coats and the fear of runny noses. After sessions of catch and keep-away soccer I found myself giving both the older kids surprise underdogs on the swings. I say surprise because I wouldn't let them look back and when they would least expect it I rushed forward and accelerated them high in the sunny sky. To them it was a rush of terror and excitement to which they both screamed in delight.
As I came around to face them I closed in on my four year old son and allowed him to swing his legs right into me. I immediately flew backward and feigned tripping over the slide. The laughter that exploded from both kids was so joyful I had to repeat my Academy Award winning performance each time coming up with some new "three-stooge" way of getting hurt.
I'm not exactly sure what's so hilarious about a kid swinging into someone but I remember doing the same with my brother who is six years younger. The grass at our house growing up was a bit thicker so it didn't hurt to go down in a heap but he loved every minute of it and would beg me not to quit.
These are the moments I need to tuck away and remember. Each time they come and ask to play and I answer with, "in a bit daddy's working," I need to hear their laughter and joy.
It's these moments I need to live for, not the next perfect pixel.
