A Little Piece of Magic

In my younger years when talking about my hopes and dreams with friends among their list was always have a family. To be honest that was one area in life I was uncertain about. Not entirely sure I was mother material; it was definitely not something in the forefront of my mind. Many years later, that makes me sound old, I met and married my husband. After a year we decided to try for a family. 

When we had our son on that first day all I could do was look at his beautiful little face as he starred at me with eyes of wonderment. So many things went through my mind in those first few hours. Would I be a good mother? What kind of life would he live and lead? How do I raise him and guide him to be the best version of himself while at the same time giving him his freedom to find himself in life on his own terms? How can I keep him safe in this changing world where threats are everywhere of every kind?

In his short four years, almost five, of his life I have found myself looking at life through his eyes. I love to watch him experience new things. The innocence of childhood so pure and unaffected by the large world that surrounds him. It helps keep me grounded when we have our little talks about life. I love his very big imagination and the way he views things in life. I remember the night shortly after we moved to West Virginia when we showed him fireflies "lightening bugs" for the first time. That will forever be a memory I cherish in my heart. The simple amazement and joy on his face. When we explained to him what they were he said it was "magical." And I must admit I felt the same. 
Last night the kids requested to have campout in the basement. A favorite weekend tradition of ours of pulling out the sleeping bags and sleeping on the floor, reading stories, playing games, or watching movies. Last night while I was trying to get our daughter to sleep I kept noticing a blinking glowing light by the door that goes outside. My first thought was is someone secretly recording us?! I watched it for several minutes and a moment later a firefly outside went past our basement window. And then it dawned on me; I bet we have a firefly stuck in our house. She noticed it as well and asked what it was. I told her I thought it might be a firefly. She went to sleep shortly after at which time I went upstairs to get my husband so we could catch it. The poor little thing had in fact gotten stuck in the doorframe but his glowing light was a beacon that directed us right to him. After we caught him in the jar we took him upstairs to show our son who was waiting for bed. He could not believe what he was seeing. He just watched it for the longest time. At that moment I was certain that when he had seen the magical glowing orbs in the backyard two months ago, stories of glowing bugs was something he thought only his imagination would conjure up.
I wish I could keep our children small forever. I wish I could protect them from the negative things in this world but I can't. I fall short often, daily even, of "Mother of The Year" but I do my best to try and give them the kind of childhood that will give them life long memories of happiness. And so when they go out into this big world they will have these little pieces of magic to take with them.