Capturing life in moments big and small

NEW CHAPTER

For the past two years, we’ve had the opportunity to take our kids to the beach in mid-September. The weather is milder, making it the perfect time of year for our little ones. The excruciating summer heat surrenders – if even just a bit – to the coastal breeze and the impression that fall is on its way. The water is refreshingly cool without being too cold, and the short wait at local restaurants is perhaps the most rewarding part of our entire trip.

As we spent the days trekking down to the beach, setting up camp and watching the kids dump their sand toys and begin to play, I filled with wonder watching them explore.

Just the year before, we could not keep Grady from shoveling fistfuls of sand into his mouth. And even worse, was the week-plus of diapers filled with a disturbing rendition of kinetic sand. Sands Alive is right! This year, my now-2-year-old stayed busy constructing a sand castle empire, while simultaneously making sure to destroy his sister’s creations.

And while last year, Tilly swelled with pride at her bravery to let the ocean’s tide lick her feet. This year, she tired herself out jumping over waves as they came rolling into the shore. And when she wasn’t in the water, she ran along herding and chasing flocks of seagulls down the beach.

Whoever coined the expression that “the more things change, the more they stay the same” must never have had children. Because as their early lives play out before me, the constant force of change is at the forefront of my mind.

In 2016, we watched Tilly – dressed as a ladybug with antennas, sequincovered wings and an equally sparkly tutu – strut across the stage at Riverview Hall, in front of hundreds of people, and dance with full confidence and a smile spread across her face. As I handed her a bouquet of flowers afterword, I couldn’t help but think, where did my firstborn baby go?

It’s been equally as much fun to watch Grady’s personality grow as he finds his own voice. I know it won’t always be this way, but I treasure his insistence that each day begins and ends with a hug and kiss from him to everyone in our family.

Change hit us hard in 2016, its reach extending far beyond our children. My husband, Ty, lost both of his grandparents within five weeks of each other. They were remarkable people. Ty’s grandfather, Jack, was a true visionary who not only had the ability to dream, but also the courage to chase it. How many of us can say that?

And to so many, his wife, Johnnie, was what really made Jack great. Johnnie supported Jack’s dreams, and together they really built something great in Shreveport. How many of us can say that, either?

While we’ve experienced significant losses this year, it’s also been a time of great healing. As we walked through so many of our “firsts” since my Dad’s passing, our loved ones have rallied around us. My girlfriends took me away for a weekend at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas for fun, laughter and pampering. We took an overnight family camping trip to Camp Caney with several other families. We roasted smores, took nature walks and went fishing. It’s these small things that restore my heart, ever so slightly.

I was able to attend a weekend-long silent retreat where I devoted much of my time to writing, reflecting and simply listening to what stirred in my heart. And this year, I made the decision to make time for reading, one of the things I love most. As I write this, in early November, I have read 30 books so far this year, which has returned a lost joy to my life simply by making time for something I love.

And what I’ve learned through all of these things, big and small, is that sometimes the things we think are so significant really are not so significant. And vice versa.

Day-to-day life is so granular that we can easily miss out on what really matters. Change happens so fast that it can easily be missed, or as I read once, “Change and constant are two sides of the same coin, one we are rarely taught to see as whole.”

Change comes disguised as our everyday lives. There are certainly life events that send shock waves through our lives, but if you don’t pay attention to the small ripples that life’s tiny pebbles make, then you aren’t seeing the picture in its entirety.

This year taught me that I want to live with my eyes wide open in moments big and small. Some days it is hard to image that I will look back and miss the crazy routine of our current lives. The things that seem so significant and daily routines that don’t seem to matter at all, that’s where life really happens.

Stephanie Jordan is a local journalist, marketer and blogger.

Her blog can be found at www.stephanienetherton.blogspot.com, and she can be contacted at stephanienetjordan@gmail.com.