The little moments...

So, I've been helping out with Justus' t-ball team.  I wouldn't jump straight to calling it "coaching" exactly, because that's what we have Sal and Ty for.  I really just make sure the little guys on 2nd base are paying enough attention to run to third when the ball is hit and then stay on 3rd and remind them to run home again when the ball is hit, but it's a lot of fun and I enjoy doing it and getting to know these adorable kiddos.  At our Tuesday game last week, Charlie's mom, Ashley, took this pic of Justus (#9) and me.

My initial reaction was "oh my gosh, what an awful picture of me (being from the rear and all)...[insert other negative self-analysis thoughts here]..."  By Thursday of last week, I was traveling for work
to the slightly less than tropical destination of Kingsville, Texas--I know, my work is glamorous, don't be jealous. As an unfortunate consequence, I missed one of Justus' T-Ball games.  In some moment Thursday night, I realized just how much I missed being at his game.  In the rush of day to day life, I sometimes feel like it is just another burden of getting here or there for something he only seems to get really excited about when getting on his uniform or having the snacks after the game.  But, in the absence of that and the solitude of a hotel room, looking for something else on my phone for work, I stumbled back upon this picture and realized how special that moment was. 

One blog I am hooked on is Momastery, and I don't get to read it as often as I would like, but she wrote one some time back that just resounds with me regularly.  It's called "2011 Lesson #2: Don't Carpe Diem".  In fact, I'm pretty sure it's the one I read that got me turned on to her blog.  I would love to just sit and read all her blog posts, but I just don't have the time to read all the ones I want, which is another post entirely.  Anyway, in this particular post, she talks about how the reward is often found in the reflection of the moment rather than in the moment itself.  She makes me feel better for not LOVING every. single. second of momming.  She has much more wit and eloquence to her words than I do, but that's the basic jist.  Read it.  You will go back for more.

Getting to the point---as I sat looking at that picture, in which I initially only focused on my poor appearance, I realized all of the blessings it reveals:  I have time to spend on a weekday evening, out at the t-ball fields with my family, rather than having to work.  I have a wonderfully healthy 5-year-old boy who loves to be active and really loves that when he gets to 3rd base, his mom is standing there to greet him, encourage him, and help him get home.  I live in a community that supports activities for young kids and has the facilities to make it happen.  I also have new friends, who are amazing people, that I have met because our son's play together, and I look forward to seeing them and their families at games as much as I look forward to going and watching our kids play. 

So, thank you, Ashley, for this reminder of so many of the wonderful things that are wrapped up in the regular everyday little moments of life.