I peeked out my upstairs, bedroom window on November 1, about 8:00 am, and looked out into our backyard. Amidst the sunlight peering through fall leaves and the dew glistening on the grass, I saw . . .
A tiny storm trooper running full speed through the yard. My little four-year old neighbor. Our dog barking her head off alerted me to this visitor outside. I couldn’t quite get my early-morning brain to pull thoughts together and figure out why he was there, and where his mom was. We had celebrated Halloween with friends and their littles the night before, so I wondered:
Did he sleep in his costume last night? (Makes total sense)
Did we forget someone when we all went to bed last night?
Then, I found my phone and saw this text:
After dying laughing, I searched my son’s room and found the mask under a pile of toys and clothes. Obviously. I ran outside and delivered the mask to the little storm trooper and his super-mom in the mini-van.
That one is only topped by the text from earlier in the week that made me DIE laughing.
I can’t. Cannot. The image of my 100 percent stylish, Type A, take-on-the-world friend hoisting herself onto a mannequin to strip him down made me sit right down and laugh. Which always makes my day brighter.
There was also this honest lament made me howl:
I mean. Tiny Sister Friend KNOWS the truth about her favorite clothes. She won’t get to wear them again. Probably not ever. Who among us has not felt bummed about a favorite outfit from high school college that we will never again be able to tug and pull onto our grown up hips? It’s sad. And the fact that this three year old recognizes this is just a Psalm-worthy lament, people.
Texts from friends that tell the real stories of their real moments are good medicine for our souls.
One of my favorite authors has a question that serves as a good marker, a way to make me pause and think about where I am right now. She asks, “What is saving your life right now?”
I heard her answer her own question with this: Good friends, good food, good work, and good health. She said, “It’s so boring . . . but is there anything better?”
Nope. Those simple things are worth every bit of celebration, sister.
I celebrate naked mannequins, tiny storm troopers and toddler fashion meltdowns.
