Warning: this post will get corny and American Beauty-esque (minus the plastic bag). If that’s not your bag, baby, I suggest you click away or fetch a bucket before reading on.
I’ve already learned that the cute moments can take you by surprise. And now I know that the truly beautiful ones can, too.
Ashleigh and I went to the park this morning. It’s been cold, grey and wet lately, but this morning, eighteen degrees Celsius was accompanied by clear blue skies and a sparkling sun.
Ashleigh and I were in tracksuits, we’d had a rough morning, and the park is close enough to our house that the angel chorus of power saws, hammering and tradie language filled the air.
No, this isn’t a sarcastic post. These are just some of the reasons that the beautiful moment took me by surprise.
We’d been at the park for a while. Ashleigh had swung, slid, climbed, bounced and cubbied to her heart’s content. We were sitting together quietly when she started singing her ABCs. It was the first time I’d heard her sing them by herself, all the way through, and her cute little almost-two-year-old voice was gorgeous to listen to.
I looked up at the clear blue sky and saw a small flock of birds. Approximately fifteen, swooping across between the upper reaches of the trees. Another, larger, flock came from the opposite direction and intersected the first flock. A mass of birds now flew across the sky in a group that appeared to be breathing as one. Expand, contract. Inhale, exhale.
The birds continued making figure-eights across the sky. Black on top, white on bottom, a kaleidoscope of changing tones as the birds ducked and weaved.
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| A photo that doesn’t begin to do justice to the moment. |
This moment lasted for what felt like ages. Much longer than it should have in an inner suburb of Melbourne. No vehicles drove past to interrupt our contemplation. No aeroplanes sent the birds scattering. And, perhaps most amazingly, Ashleigh sat, singing her songs, and watched them as well.
Then, at some unseen and unheard cue, the birds changed direction one last time, and continued flying south until we couldn’t see them anymore.
I sat for a moment longer to see if they’d return, then turned to look at Ashleigh. She looked up at me, smiled, and said “Mummy, kiss?”
Beautiful.
Have you experienced a beautiful moment recently?
Beautiful! Don’t you love moments like that when you just think that there is nothing more awesome than being a Mum. She is just so beautiful Em!
Hunter sings the ABC song and when he gets to ‘L M N O P’ he sings “meno-meno-pee” – too cute!
Last night both boys were sitting together on the piano stool giggling, then Hunter put his arm across Rory’s back to give him a cuddle, they looked at each other and grinned and giggled and Rory cuddled him back and it nearly made my heart melt! (Much better than fighting over toys, arguing about who gets the red cushion, crying because he’s got my favourite ted…)!
Love your moment and glad that you’re back blogging regularly – I missed your daily lessons!
Thanks Carla. ‘Meno-meno-pee’ is gorgeous. As is your other moment – thanks for sharing!
Glad to be back.
I just love that you really appreciated that moment. Some people, in my opinion, just move to fast through their life to really experience them. I think it’s their loss…
Thanks SportyMummy! I’m ashamed to admit that I’m usually in the other camp – rush rush rush, hurry hurry hurry. Perhaps motherhood is mellowing me out?!
That is lovely. I often think those moments are the most precious, cos they kind of take you by surprise. They’re the moments Vonnegut said to take stock and say “If this isn’t happiness, I don’t know what is”
Gorgeous! It’s usually the simplest things… Thanks for linking up this vintage post with #thelounge. Robo X
Be as corny as you like. I think taking more notice of the little things is one of the most important lessons any of us can learn. Lovely post.