Have you ever just took a moment to watch the expressions of a child? Do we even realize the wonderful things we can re-learn just by spending the day taking our little people in for a few hours instead of nodding when they ask a question instead of really listening to what they have to say or show us?
I believe that we forget sometimes exactly what a "hug" is until a little pair of arms offer us one for no reason at all. The excitement of a pair of open arms running down a hall with an accompanied giggle until they reach our neck is hardly equivalent to the "hugs" a busy life has taught us to expect as we've grown older. Unfortunately, more times than not; our busy lives only encounter a "hug" when something tragic has happened and it usually comes with tears rolling down our faces. How wonderful it is to just receive a real genuine "I love you so much I ran down the hallway" hug from our little people.
The same is usually true for that of a kiss. We've all had that "magical" first kiss or even that dreadful "goodbye" kiss as butterflies flew in our tummies or pain shot through our "broken" hearts. But, have you ever tasted a "too sugary" still covered in sticky lollipop kiss as a set of sticky lips puckered to give you an "I love you forever" kiss? We cringe as we see the red lollipop faces running towards us but smile as we say "ahhh" to their happy,yummy "too sticky" faces. We later recall exactly how yummy those kisses were as we sit in a college parking lot crying as they wave goodbye. Now that's how a real "goodbye" kiss feels my friends...
And finally, I am brought to the simpleness of holding a loved one's hand. What usually comes to mind is the first hand that gave us a High school ring to wear as they interlocked our hand for the first time. It gave us an identity, made us cool and forced our hearts to flutter for the love that we "thought" we'd found only later to find out we'd found nothing at all but an average idiot. It may even bring to mind a smile for the one that slipped a ring on our finger to promise to love us always as we for the first time shared the same last name. But, have you ever walked as you held two tiny hands in front of you because they couldn't walk by themselves? Did you laugh as they giggled with excitement that they were walking on their tiny feet for the first time? Or even as you watched them become a beautiful little "big" person do you remember getting to be the person that still held their hand when someone had broken their hearts? And did you think then how lucky you were to have a sweet hand that would always reach for yours no matter how "big" they thought they'd become?
My friends life is a journey that none of us will ever be able to quite explain. It is a road with ups and downs and simple straight ways and a million dangerous curves. We will have our hearts bursting with joy at moments and broken only moments after. But the good will always return and the bad will never get to stay for long. However, our children and the little people that we love are here with us right now and sometimes we should just take a moment to see what they have to say...to watch what they still have to teach us...We should give in to a lollipop kiss every now and then or even run down a long hallway with our arms wide open waiting for them to land inside of them....even if it's covered on each side with college sweatshirts...
