I woke up to a cold, blustery, rainy day. With this being the last week of summer holidays for my wee ones, I had the intention of making every day of the week a special one. The weather inspired me to hunker down and get some things done around the house. Laundry, organizing, tidying, cleaning, school supply labelling - I could go on and on. As I decided which task held the highest priority, I paused and observed my kids. Watching me cross items off of my to-do list wasn't going to make a memory for them. I decided that I would take the kids to the beach for a stormy stroll. My ever efficient mind immediately thought that I could whip around the house and get some tidying done before we left. With the unpredictability of Mother Nature in mind, I decided that it would be best to ditch my household duties and head to the beach before the rain stopped. Rain gear was pulled out, and we hit the beach in search of the biggest puddles that we could find. We explored the beach, waded in rubber boots, walked over slippery branch bridges and watched some trains. Once we felt that we were adequately soaked, we piled into the car to warm up and go find some steamed soy milks. Small rituals like these, make up the memory banks of our youth.
I hope that one day, my children look back on their younger years and remember the days like this. The days that we put everything aside, in order to enjoy and explore the beauty that life has to offer. My goal as a parent, is to foster my children's appreciation for the simple entertainment in our world. If they grow up to enjoy the beach, the forest and the library as much, or more than the movie theatre, amusement park or shopping mall, then my mission will be complete.
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