best days of our lives......

This past weekend we were in Evansville Indiana for my lil' brother's wedding. Such a treat to get away for a few days from the daily things of home and the weather was beautiful.....70's and sunny....I got to bust out the flip-flops for 4 days straight.....I knew then that I was going to survive Michigan weather... I keep saying "spring is coming....spring is coming!"

While we were there we took several long walks and just enjoyed being outside and the fresh air. On Saturday we stopped to feed Norah and began talking to an elderly woman who was sitting alone just looking out over the river and seemed off in another time. She loved talking to Norah and waving at her and Norah was just all smiles and waves for her. It seemed like this made her day. She asked lots of questions about Norah and us and told us about her family and some her highs (new great grand-baby) and lows (sick friends and the death of her husband). She has experienced so much in her life, you could see it in her eyes. As we were leaving she gave us some of the most touching, simple, best advice. She wished us well and encouraged us to love and enjoy every moment of this part of our lives with our little girl and that we truly are living out the best days of our lives right now. All of this because as she reflects back those were the best days of her life.....young, married, close healthy friends, beginning a family, those exciting baby moments....these are the times she remembers and cherishes and looks back at so fondly now. This really touched both of our hearts as we had just heard a few small segments of her life.....some of the joy and some of the pain. And I realize how easy it is to get overwhelmed at times now with all of the little things and get so busy in the daily tasks of living and being parents but I want to really take time to step back and breathe and enjoy the moment and to breathe in the reality that these times will forever be engraved in our hearts and minds and that like she said are probably the best days of our lives! I want to embrace this now so I look back with so much joy and gratitude when I am her age.
What a short simple conversation but such profound wisdom from someone reflecting back on her own life and who we never even got her name!