Thursday, October 6, 2011

A Day of Note

By all accounts today was not a day of note.  Nothing special or memorable happened. No work projects completed. No milestones were reached. No pictures taken. No purchases were made.

In fact, the only obvious accomplishment worth mentioning which took place this day was that the soggy Seattle skies cleared just long enough for me to leave work early, come home, and finish painting my deck and porch. Like I said, it was a Thursday.  Of a full work week. The sun barely made and appearance.  This was definitely not a memorable day.

Or was it?

After my painting job was finished, I had enough time to get a few other chores done around the house.  Some that had been nagging me for a while.  Then Mrs. LIAYF and Lukas arrived home and while Lukas laughed uncontrollably while watching an episode of Shawn the Sheep, and Mrs. LIAYF watched an episode of The Closer, I made a fresh salmon dinner with kale and fig bread, while I sipped on a craft beer and listened to the baseball playoffs on the radio.  Pausing to take in the scene at that moment, it dawned on me that despite my sometimes hectic schedule, I was extremely happy.

Then, after the media distractions were over, my family and I sat down to dinner together in a quiet dinning room to enjoy our meal and talk about our respective days.  Lukas, of course, was his animated self using impressive hand gestures to describe the antics of the claymation show he had just watched. After dinner, a game of pirates and dragons between father and son then turned into a game of chase and lasers which lasted until it was time to wind ourselves down for the evening bedtime routine.

After the game of chase I was worn and out of breath, but as I lay on our guest bed next to Lukas - both of us laughing and silly - I again realized how happy these little moments were making me.

No, today Thursday October 6th, 2011 was not a day of note.  It was just another day in my life as a parent.  A busy day where I did many of the same chores I do nearly every other day: Laundry, dinner, dishes, and work around the house.

But, of course, that's really not all it was.  It was also one of those many collective days that make up Lukas' childhood that I will one day look back upon with fond memories. 

I won't remember a specific scene.  I won't have a picture with which to recall the day.  I will just remember how nice it was. 

And that it made me happy.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

These simple ordinary moments are amazing as a dad. I had the same kind of day, hectic and busy but then just realizing how happy I was as I played in the leaves with my daughter. Being a dad rocks, doesn't it?

James (SeattleDad) said...

@anordinarydad - Absolutely. I really wish I could record all of it, everyday, somewhere that is much better storage than my head.

danielpelfrey said...

Those are some of the best days. Finding happiness in those "ordinary" moments, pretty awesome.

triles said...

Great post. Although I'd probably have to do without the kale.

momnextdoor said...

I find the small moments to be so much more rewarding.

I had the same feeling this morning as I read Bud a book while he was eating his cereal in front of the toe kick heater in the kitchen. (Yes, my son eats his breakfast on the kitchen floor. It's his choice. I swear!)
Those are the moments I cherish.

Kevin said...

Great post!

I too have those days. I believe I would have them more often if only I would slow down and take a look around.

Bruce Sallan (@BruceSallan) said...

Those are the DAYS of note!

The Angry Scot said...

Great post, i am on the same thoughts as Kevin who posted above, i believe if we all just slowed down for a while we would all have such great moments like these more often.

Fantastic post mate!

Mrs. M said...

Sounds like a perfect evening - great reflections!

the other amy m. said...

I love having moments and/or days like that - so glad to be alive, right?
Thanks for sharing, it was nice to read...

Captain Dumbass said...

Nice.

James (SeattleDad) said...

@Daniel - Yes, pretty awesome

@Tim - Steamed in balsalmic vinegar. Mmmmmm. Give it a try.

@Momnextdoor - One of my favorite places to read a book.

@Kevin - And, of course, that is a very hard thing to do some times, isn't it?

@Bruce - Certainly.

@Ben - Thanks Ben. It is nice to step back and take stock now and again of what is comprising the majority of your life.

@Teri - Thank you.

@Amy - Appreciated. And thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

@Captain - Thank you sir.