Dandelions

Today, we took a shortcut home from the park....we strolled through the greenbelt between the houses in our neighborhood. It was a peaceful Thursday afternoon, we could hear kids playing, dogs barking, and other sounds that reminded us of life. Sweet girl, with her hair up in a ponytail and dressed in her pink soccer shoes, pink striped soccer socks and all that comes along with little girl soccer, stomped through the grass which had started turning green. Its the beginning of Spring now and the grass hasn't completely turned green and soft under the feet; it is still a little dry, straw-like and crunchy from the unseasonably cold weather we've had....but it's pretty. Even the young Oak tree that was planted in the front yard last year has begun to bloom; it's leaves are the color of an opaque lime lifesaver (one of my favorite flavors).

As we started our journey home we quickly got distracted.....we found a single yellow Dandelion in the middle of the long manicured greenbelt....of course, our little soccer star had to snatch it up right away. The bright yellow rays of this sweet weed always remind me of the sun I used to draw as a child in the corner of every masterpiece. My sweet girl handed it to me quickly as the typical act of love from her and followed it with an "I love you Mommy." I love the sound of those words and receiving such simple and beautiful gifs from my amazing children.

So as we walked....strolled....back home, we searched for more pretty yellow weeds and talked about the day; we were in no hurry to get home, although it was already getting late. She is growing up so fast; she's no longer my baby. So I tend to want to drag little events like this out so that I enjoy them and can remember them for the rest of my life.

We found one more dandelion but this one was different than the miniature yellow sun ray.....it had a million tiny parachutes. I was the one to snatch it up quickly this time; I took a deep breath and then taught the beauty standing next to me the magic of this little creation....I blew lightly on the parachutes and they floated away in the North Texas wind. She was so excited. She has always been fascinated with nature and how the world works.

This was one of the most wonderful five minute walks that lasted three times longer. Soon we will be enrolling her in her first "real" year of school, ordering school supplies, and starting to pick out a new school wardrobe. This is a fun time for a mom....her baby girl is becoming a young lady and I get to witness every minute of it...and believe me I'm taking in every single second of it!

We've been reminded several times in the past year how delicate life can be. Because of this, we make a point to explore the world more, sit down longer when we need to talk about the day, we hug more, we blow kisses more, and we even seek out the weeds of nature and make them a beautiful experience.....and we hope you get the chance to stop, pick up a dandelion, take a deep breath, watch as the parachutes float away, and enjoy the nature that God gave us all to love and cherish.