Embrace

October 4 | Embrace

We wait in the school pick up line for the chimes to signal the end of the elementary school day.  We wait for vibrant bodies to spill out of the door, running with extra hops added to hoist oversized backpacks onto shoulders.  We wait and notice the other details, like the leaves playing tag on the sidewalk and the purple ball sadly displaced on the roof of the gym.

When it’s our turn, the doors open and the line of parents, grandparents, babysitters and siblings shuffles inside to collect our waiting backpacked student.

All day, we’ve been waiting for this moment.  Waiting, as we rushed through errands and preschool drop off  and sweeping the floor and chopping vegetables and throwing another load in the washer and sifting leaves with our feet on the way back from the school bus stop.

The teacher assigned to parent pick up duty calls out her name to match her with our little 2/3 family.  She bounds up, hops to adjust her backpack, and she’s there.  Our third third.  Her hand is in mine and her other arm is around my leg.  My chin is on the top of her head.

“Hug!  Hug!”  Insists Little C, and EB turns to her offering big sister arms spread wide.  They are like puppies, sniffing, embracing, tumbling, reassuring that they do indeed belong to the same litter after the day’s separation.

This happens every day.

Time slows for this momentary embrace.  This re-connection.  This addition of 2/3 plus 1/3 equal a whole.  It’s a second that’s as sweet as a cup of sugar in my day.

Day 4 of 31 days.  For the month of October, I’m joining in on 31 Days of 5 Minute Free Writes and embracing the chance to notice and appreciate and set free the moments in life that bring joy in the midst of chaos.  Following the rules to write an unedited response to a prompt in 5 minutes, the insights and gratitude I gain in that short time will lift my soul skyward for the day.  Join me in reading!  Grateful for the challenge of Write 31 Days.