The little things are what matter most.
We tend to think the big moments matter more, such as the extravagant birthdays, holidays, graduations and vacations.
Surprisingly, it’s the little, seemingly unimportant, things that are done time and time again that our children remember most.
It’s nothing in particular that you will notice or know to do.
It won’t be something you can measure in the given moment.
It will only be after a long period of time that you will look back and see the treasure of those small, tiny, insignificant, beautiful moments.
Here are a few of the innocuous gems:
- The seemingly long 6-second hugs you give them because you read once that it takes at least six seconds to connect with someone.
- Blindly flipping pancakes from the stove and sending them over your shoulder. Across the room. Spinning through the air. You’re hoping they land on a plate before the dog can jump up and grab them. The best part is seeing the pride on their face when they hand their friends a plate and tell them, “Wait until you see how my mom serves up pancakes in our house.”
- How you lie on the hammock with them staring up at the stars without speaking a word.
- How you write on their bathroom mirror so they can awake to a surprise message to start their day.
- The “I Love You’s” whispered before heading out the door or hanging up the phone.
- The blowing kisses emojis sent via text for no particular reason other than to say I’m thinking of you.
- Saying “go long” and tossing groceries like a football across the kitchen just to bring some fun to the monotonous chore of putting groceries away after a big Costco run.
- The way they instantly roll over onto their stomach when you come into their room in the morning anticipating that “feel good” back scratch.
- Crawling under the covers, scooching them over, just to snuggle up next to them for a few minutes.
- The special name you only have for them.
Those little things add up.
What you may not realize in the midst of exhaustion or the routine of it all is that all these little “remember whens” count. And they add up over time.
If you ask your older children what they remember most about you, they will name all these simple, unearth-shattering, mundane moments. The ones that you repeated over and over and over again and thought went unnoticed.
Take stock of the “little things” mommas, for they are what matter most to your kids.
