Slow Down

This past Friday I got some heartbreaking news that a good friend's mother passed away unexpectedly. To say I was shocked was an understatement. I was very close with this friend growing up, spending a lot of time at her house- envying her older sister who was a cheerleader, and being annoyed by her little brother, as most girls are by their friend's younger siblings.

Flash forward to our college years, and we had lost touch, but guess who moved into the apartment next door? My friend's little brother. I spent years living next to him, and was so proud of the man he was becoming.

Flash forward to the past few months and I've HAPPILY reconnected via Facebook with my friend (who recently moved back to the Northeast), her little brother is having a baby in May with his wife, and her older sister is getting married soon too. I've always loved the bond that these siblings have, and after such a tragedy I'm so happy that they are so close. I know that this will help them get through this awful time.

On a related note- I took the time this weekend to be conscious of how I was spending my time. My son is at an age where he wants to play all. the. time. and I often find myself "too busy" with laundry, vacuuming, SOMETHING. He asked me to play trains with him Saturday. I stopped what I was doing and took the time to admire what he had built with his train set and play with him. (Sidenote: he has a different, deeper voice when he plays and it's wicked cute. He calls me "buddy" too... just hilarious.)

I just thought it was so important to take the time and breathe. play. laugh. cuddle. I wish  I could take my friends' pain away, but the reality is I can't. The only thing I can do is take time with my own family. Hope that I can create lasting memories for them. That they always remember my smile. My touch. My laugh.