First Time Again

I have been looking back through pictures on this snowy Monday. My wife is off work and our three little ones are enjoying lots of play time - it is a good day. Our youngest turns 4 months tomorrow. She is too young to recognize her first snow day but that doesn’t mean we cannot enjoy seeing it through her eyes.

One of my uncles likes to comment on the joy he has when going to Disney world with children. He and his wife have earned about a dozen free trips now so Magic Kingdom has lost some luster. However, when he sees a child at Disney world for the first time he is always amazed at the sparkle in their eyes.

I am reminded of this as we cherish a snow day as a family. There is nothing comparable to experiencing snow, the wind, or the nighttime sky for the first time - nature is full of wondrous moments. Yet, in our yearning for the new and the flashy we can miss the old, simple, and timeless treasures around us.

Sometimes, that is a sleeping baby in our arms. Sometimes, that is the calm stillness of a winter day. And sometimes, that is stopping just long enough to look up at the sky and remember how small we are.

As I watch my little bundle resting today, I take note and I am grateful. Despite all my failures, she is here. Despite all the bad decisions I have made outside these walls, I am still here. Life is worth living no matter how many times we fall. We never know what joy may spring up the next day.