Enjoying The Moment.

Some of the best accomplishments are not your own. Rather, they are those we are fortunate enough to witness. On May 28, Gary and I got to be there for Neil's Kindergarten graduation. Afterward, there was an open-house in his classroom so the parents could see what the children had been up to all year. Though it was sad to see him aging before my eyes, it was a beautiful day. He was so pleased with himself, and so thoroughly living in the moment. Another great reminder of how children have a better view of things than we, the not so knowing parents!















Another of those amazing days full of watching accomplishments, came yesterday. At a bike race of all places! I was lucky enough to be able to watch the State Road Race Championships in Clarkston. The original reason for dragging myself and Neil out of bed in the pre-dawn hours, was selfish and simple. I love that area.

Gary capitalized completely on that fact and thought it would be a fun day trip for the family. The trip almost didn't happen, as Gary was feeling some serious discouragement in the preceding week. A few too many nights of 3-4 hours of sleep can do that to a person. But, come Wednesday, he was feeling good and decided to register. I'm so glad he did.

It was a beautiful day. Neil was pleasant and feeling adventurous. There were kind people who indulged him in conversation. There were hills for exploring, and dinosaur games for playing. He only asked me once when would it be over. And only said twice that he wanted his dad.

I was able to watch the winning finish of a friend. He so deserved the victory. His enthusiasm at his accomplishment alone was worth the trip. I wish that as an adult. everyone could have that kind of excitement for something at least once, and then be able to pull out that memory when things get tough. He made me happier just by watching him. His joy in the moment was contagious.

Gary proved to me, once again, that even personal accomplishments are victories in their own right. He did not do well in the traditional sense of the word, he came in second to last. He did however relish in the energy he had for the remainder of the day. He did not come crawling across the finish line, he did not need me to drive him home, and he was pleasant and up for conversation and even took Neil to a movie later in the evening. That's something that wasn't always possible. In the past, when he would get home from a race, he was in the prone position drooling in front of the t.v as soon as he was cleaned up. I know that people look at him a little strange when he starts to talk about food restrictions. But, really if what he is doing works for him, GREAT! Lay off and go eat cake!

Later in the evening my mom and her girlfriend took me to a wine-tasting class (I'm sorry, I know they are married, but calling her my mom's wife does not come easily. It's just a personal flaw on my part). I get the feeling this was probably something my mom has wanted to do with me ever since I was the little girl who would beg for tastes from her glass. It was so much fun. Do you know that wine can honestly taste like Asiago cheese? Or smell so good, you would rather smell it than taste it? But, make sure you taste it...you will not be disappointed! Some wine can smell like menthol (but not in a yucky medicine way). Or, did you know that if you drink apple ale really fast, you can truly taste the apples?

Anyway! Yesterday was one of the fun, perfectly balanced kind of days, when it really pays to keep your eyes open and your heart soft. Just letting everything around you soak in. Some days it's good to be a sponge.