just like this

Sometimes life with little kids is kind of mundane. I mean, there is fun and excitement and joy and chaos in each day but often, it’s monotonous. The same thing day and and day out. We eat, we play, we clean up, we nap, we go potty, we change diapers, we clean up some more, we read books, clean up some more … and so on.

Yet, there are moments, little blips of time where something may happen – as commonplace as it may be – and I am just struck with awe and amazement and bewilderment at these two little people I call my daughters. You know the moments? When you can hardly catch your breath because you realize just how amazing they really are? Just how blessed they make your life?

The other day I had such a moment. I was going about my every day stuff. Washing dishes, I think. I heard the very familiar sound of two little girlies giggling and laughing together. I turned around and saw this. My two little ladies, walking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth between the living room and dining room, Evalyn pushing her baby in a stroller, and Gwennie carrying a miniature stroller, doing her best to keep up with her sister. Every time they got to the end of the room, Eva would say, “Come on, Sissy, let’s go again!” and at one point even left to find an itty bitty teeny weeny baby doll to put in Gwen’s stroller. They went on playing like this, together, for nearly twenty minutes. All while I sat back and watched silently.

(I tried and tried and tried to actually get a good photo but their blurry little selves were running and wobbling too quickly to get a nice photo.)

While I watched them, I was so struck. I even found myself blinking back a few tears. Because in that moment, I realized that the best gift I’ve ever given them is each other. Sisters. A built in best friend.

My girls, I hope you always walk together, just like this. Side by side. Through every thing life brings your way. I hope you always laugh together the way I see you laugh together every day. I hope you always bring joy to each other the way you do each morning when you squeal with delight at the sight of each other. I hope that you’re always able to add cheer to each other’s day and change grumpiness to giggles, the way you, Gwen, do now when Evalyn is grumpy. She can’t help but cheer up after a nap when you walk into her room. I hope that someday, we will see a picture just like this, only you’ll be walking side by side, with your very own real live babies in those strollers (and you’ll have shirts on too, I hope). I pray that you are always the very best of  friends, just the way you were when I captured this moment. That even when you fight and bicker and throw things at each other… even when you hate each other’s guts … that you will still, deep down in your core, be the very best of friends.

I hope you’ll always be just like this.