A simple game of Go Fish

We awoke Saturday, genuinely thankful and excited to be at home.  Home is our favorite spot to be, to recharge and rest.  After a quick breakfast, plans were made for the day which included a wood-burning fire or two, smoked meat for dinner, and plenty of farm work.  One little face with BIG brown eyes was begging to play a game of Go Fish before we gave the full day of marching orders.  Although eager to get on with our to-do's, Brett and I saw the importance of honoring such a seemingly small request, and we sat down to play. 

We began to teach the girls how to play Go Fish, re-reading the instructions for our grown-up selves as well, seeing as it had been years since we'd played.  

I quietly captured the moments that may have looked mundane on the surface, but were really the memories that will sink so deep in your soul, in later days tears will spring up in your eyes.  

Things like my oldest trying to fan our her cards and hold them properly, without them flying every which way or showing them all to the other players. 

Capturing my youngest getting help from her daddy and later on remembering how she thought she won every time you said "Betsy, Go Fish!" and how her whole body giggled and giggled.

That's what I want to remember. 

What I'm finding more and more as I get older is that the simple things truly hold the most depth in my memories and soul.  I always love it when Facebook shows a flashback photo, especially when they include my daughters as babies.  The simple, small moments like Anna's first time finger-painting are what make me sigh deep and sometimes even, my eyes fill with tears. 

A favorite quote of mine is "Our stories are all we have." (Karen Fisher)

Isn't that so true?  

Today I encourage you to find one tiny slice of your day that makes you look just a little longer.  Perhaps it's your daughter's hair in her face, your sons toothy grin, the way your husband walks into a room.  Maybe it's watching a friend deep in conversation, a single raindrop that takes your breath away, or the steam rising from your coffee cup. Take whatever slice of your story catches your attention today and capture it.  Write about it in a journal, capture it with a camera, linger long enough to really take it in. 

"Our stories are all we have."  This is my story of a simple game of Go Fish.