Sitting outside the ice cream shop with our cones in cups (planning ahead with little ones), an old man sat alongside us. Enjoying the beautiful day, we had some small talk until familiar faces passed by, and he greeted them. I pretended not to be listening but thought he might have something good to say, so I leaned in. He asked them what had them out around the square, and they said, “Wasting the day, I guess.” Looking at the couple, the old man responded, “Time is not wasted on days like today.” Pure gold. And I heard it.
Thunder crashed through the walls, and lightning lit up the hillside through the windows. The trees quickly became monsters in a two-year-old’s eyes. Running as fast as her little feet would carry her, Charlotte found safety between mommy and daddy. Tyson had already sought refuge close in my arms. It was the early morning hours, and the storm howled on. “Only missing one,” Chuck remarked. Trying to go back to sleep, I whispered, “She will be along.” We heard Eva tumbling down the hall a few minutes later, trying to beat the stampeding thunder.
They were all piled up in the bed. Safety brought steady breaths from everyone snuggled in tight. I laughed silently to myself, catching sight of my husband. At almost 6’2″, he can be a bit intimidating until you see him gently sleeping on the edge of the bed, not to disturb the little ones all tucked under his arms.
Before the house woke, I needed to get upstairs and do some writing and editing for my new book, but I knew mornings like this were rare. With the girls peacefully sleeping and Tyson in a dream world on my chest, I decided that my next book would have to wait on days like today.
“Ma’am,” the lady behind the sales desk said. “You might want to get your child.” Turning around, Charlotte had climbed up on a chair and reached across the table for some hand-stitched items hanging up for sale. “Charlotte, NO!” I firmly stated as I hauled her down off the chair. Paying for my items in the craft store, Tyson began to fuss. Charlotte, wanting to be helpful, began to rock him in his car seat until she flipped it over. I smiled at the lady behind the counter, looking at me like I had no control. Leaving my checkbook on the counter, I grabbed the car seat and steadied Tyson, who was looking at me wide-eyed. Tearing out the check, I told the lady, “He will be made of steel by the time he can walk.” I decided to quickly peruse one more shop and trying to find a hidden treasure. An hour later, I exited with shovels, pales, and fake nails. None of which constituted things I was envisioning. But it didn’t seem to matter on a day like today.
Own this growing keepsake collection today!
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Jumping out of the truck and throwing shoes down the drive, the girls ran to the creek as fast as they could. I watched clothes fly, and dogs run. Seventy-eight degrees at the first part of March, not a thought or a care to what needed to be done crossed their minds; to play was all they could see. Chuck and I were planting saplings around the property, and we saw the girls barefoot in the creek, up to their elbows in mud. They were busy planting their pretend garden and catching lizards and tadpoles.
Tyson was sleeping soundly in the stroller as we moved around the yard. The dogs were diving for treasures, and Samson, our male Golden Retriever, was faithfully digging right along with them. I think God gave me a little wink with that dog. At nine years old, he has yet to grow up. I wasn’t sure if now would be a good time to share with Chuck that I accidentally let our female Golden Retriever out with our male German Shepherd. Distracted by the kids, I wondered what price a person could fetch for Golden Shepherds. On second thought, I decided why bother sharing news of that nature on days like today.
I needed to switch a load of laundry. I told Charlotte, who was on the back porch, to stay close. I heard her sweet little voice say, “OK.” Knowing that would never happen, I made sure I was quick. Catching sight from the kitchen window, I saw her sparkly blue Cinderella dress escaping up the hill in the backyard. She was barefoot traipsing through the woods and up the path to the treehouse. Charlotte needed to be in trouble, but I didn’t have the heart for it then. Instead, I wanted to remember her antics and desire for adventure forever.
The old man was right. Time is never wasted on days like today.
Through the Lord’s mercies, we are not consumed because His compassions fail not to. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
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