My nieces and nephews are over for the weekend, and I have loved being able to spend time with them. We've wrestled, watched movies, painted fingernails, played at the park, had slumber parties, and just now we screamed the Frozen soundtrack on our way home from ice cream. So let me tell you why I'm so touched by this most recent experience:
First, I was impressed by my sister. Pam has a divine love for her children, and this is conveyed through her extraordinary ability to really play and interact with her kids. While playing "Taboo" last night, she used quotes from Disney movies to help explain the word on the card, showing that she not only colors, bakes, reads, builds with blocks, and plays games with her children, but she also takes the 2+ hours to watch their movies with them. And the fact that she had the Frozen soundtrack in her car, and that she was able to sing every word along with me and her four kids, is evidence of this fact. Pam was like one of the kids, screaming at the top of her lungs, rolling down the windows, opening the sun roof, and playing the songs over again so we could belt it one more time. I was touched by her ability to "Let It Go" and enjoy a simple, but unforgettable ride home.
And I was also impressed by the pure joy and exhilaration we all felt from doing something so random and fun. We were crazy and wild and impervious to the norms of society, which told us that screaming "Love Is An Open Door" in the car was somewhat strange and unnecessary. We were thrilled when we turned a corner and saw a man on the sidewalk who quickly became our newest audience member. And we were even more excited to get home and watch the videos we had taken to relive the recent fun. I was touched by our ability to have good, clean, wholesome fun with nothing more than a CD, six enthusiastic singers, and a video camera on just a normal summer night.
I rejoice in my family. And I am grateful for the simple things that make all the difference.
