wonder moments {mothers you must give these}

Words to my Elijah.

Don’t go outside without shoes.
Don’t get wet.
Don’t go over there.
Don’t splash in the puddle.
Don’t run around right now.

All within minutes.

It started when he slipped out the backdoor, wearing his red plaid pajama pants, on a hazy sunset golden hour night. His little four year old feet racing across the much needing of new stain deck, down the stairs, by the garden with the peas finally sprouting up, and over to the ditch inbetween the yards. There, in it’s glorious state of left-over rainness {that’s my new word} was a wonderful, tempting, just sitting there, large puddle.

Don’t go in the puddle Elijah.

He looked back and me – we stared each other down – me the mom and the very curious four year old standing on the still soggy over saturated grass with that puddle in the background.

Please momma. I won’t get wet.

{I knew that wasn’t true…he’s four… and the puddle was so tempting.}

Those little eyes staring at me. Pleading.

Let me be curious.

It was about joy. Not about the mess, muddy hands, wet feet,  that it’s real close to bedtime, or that there are mosquitoes emerging. This was simply about him – wondering – wanting to just explore without all those parameters that my busy mom self wanted to impose on him. I didn’t want a mess. I didn’t want the work. I wanted it easy, you know?

He wanted to be a four year old.

He wanted to be out there in the world, this beautiful creation, where he could simply be free to explore. Splashing the water, throwing maple seed pods into the water and watching them float around, dunking the butterfly net in and basking in the wonder, the simple wonder, of childhood.

I needed to slow down. 

To let go of my agenda. To let him be a child – living in the wonder that we adults lose so quickly with each passing day. We race and rush and run and forget to sit in the absolute wonder of a spring day. We see the work. We see the inconveniences, the divergence from the schedule, and we miss the joy of watching water splashed in the setting sun.

Intentional. Little wonder moments.

Motherhood moments that we can be blessed to give. Those snippets of air, of freedom, of exploring, of wonder – we must give them space to enjoy them. Our agendas – the schedules, our color-coded routines, our next thing on the list – can wait. They are given one chance to be four. One. Time will pass and they’ll lose the wonder in that puddle – it will simply become just a puddle. But now? Now, they’re given the gift of wonder. Of time.

This is learning. Curiosity. Life. A puddle to explore on a spring night.

{Mothers – bless them with the space in their life for these moments.}

I had to let go and let him go and just be.

Did you have fun, Elijah?

Those were my words later.

It’s joy in the little things.

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