the little moments

I love the little moments in life.  The things that are forgotten like the snap of a finger, the blink of an eye, or a box on the calendar.  

Too often, those little things go unnoticed.  I tend to spend my days focused on school and school alone.  Try to finish before dinner.  Get good grades.  Write a beautiful paper.  That's important - I know that. 

But what about those times when my baby sister is begging me to play with her?  Because, she's not going to be little for very long.  And what about that time when I just need to immerse myself in the sound of the wind blowing, birds singing, and leaves falling?  

I was reminded of these things this weekend.  On Saturday, I spent the day with a wonderful friend.  We played soccer together.  (And won, I might add.)  When I returned home, my family was gardening.  The last of the vegetables have been picked, and the sweet potatoes that have been harvested are waiting for some hungry chef to transform them into a sweet meal.  

In order to grant the birthday girl's wish, we played a game we call Chopped.  My family has an obsession with the Food Network Channel - so much so that we now hold our own Chopped competition which we modified from the show.  (If you haven't seen it, you need to.)  Four brave little souls concocted desserts from five secret ingredients that my mom and I found.  I'll let you imagine what you get when oatmeal, green tea, cinnamon chips, apple pie filling, and sweet potatoes are mixed.  

On Sunday, I arose with excitement.  My church has just built a new sanctuary to accommodate its ever growing member count.  Yesterday was the first service in that new building.  As prayers and praises were being lifted up in a place that seemed so new, yet so familiar, I experienced a renewed love and appreciation for my church.  Some people cannot understand how a church of 3500 can be so close and Christ-focused, but we are.  And it is a simply stunning thing to witness.

Today.  Another school week.  Another Monday.  Instead of dreading it, dragging my feet through it, I attempted to look for the little things, and I found them.  Conversations with friends, laughing at the most random things, even enjoying Latin class.  Those are the things I love.

And even as the rain poured this afternoon and we were told that the power had been out for five hours because of work being done, I still found joy.  The silence when no dishwasher is running or oven heating is beautiful and so very rare.  And I cherished it.

The little moments.  The things we so often forget, and so often forget to be grateful for.  What were some moments you have cherished this weekend?