In July of 2011, I had a day that made any stay-at-home mom feel fantastic (and a little guilty). Picture this, a stellar summer day with sunny blue skies and comfortable temps. My older daughter enjoyed a morning of camp and an afternoon at a friends house. My younger daughter and I had a relaxing morning and picked up her friend to take to the pool after lunch. When we got to the pool, there were plenty of seats around, even some with umbrellas! After I made sure the girls had plenty of sunscreen and bought myself a huge diet Pepsi with ice (and a straw); I settled on a lounge chair with my book.
As I drank in the sun on this peaceful day, I felt so lucky. I thought of how I left my career in advertising years ago to raise my girls and how many joys and struggles I have felt. There were some days that felt painfully long, like when the children were sick with fever and the laundry was a mile high. And there were days that felt like a special gift, like when I could volunteer to help out in their class or comfort them when they were sad or be there to watch them learn something new. This day was one of those days as I watched my daughter and her friend swim in the pool, making up games in the water and trying to splash me from the side. Then my daughter gazed up, "Look, mom, a heart!". Damn if it wasn't the perfect cloud heart on a perfectly beautiful sunny day! I took a picture with my phone and felt as if God was smiling down on us, giving us the gift of a beautiful day and time with each other. I even think this heart looks like it has two birds in it. What do you think?
