Treasured Moments

Yesterday was a rough day for L. K had a friend over to play and poor L kept getting left out. I'm pretty sure she spent 80% of her time crying about one thing or another. It just wasn't her day. I did tell the older girls to allow her to play with them and to their credit, they did. However, when L would suggest something to do, the other girls didn't want to play along. It just generally wasn't her day.

I had a school board meeting last night (did I mention I'm on the board of our little Christian school?) and when I got home the house was dark, the kids were asleep (or so I thought), and S was catching up on some work. As I was closing the back door I heard a tiny voice say, "Mama?" followed by little feet slapping the hard wood floor in the hall. A pitiful face peered out from around the corner.

She didn't have to say anything because I knew exactly how she felt. She proceeded to tell me that I needed to come to her room to sing with her, something I do with the girls every night. However, K was already asleep and I didn't want to wake her. I scooped L up and sat on the sofa with her for just a few minutes. I asked her, "You had a rough day, didn't you?"

"Yeah, K and K2 wouldn't play with me because K2 didn't want to get on my bed and play with me."

"Sometimes we get left out, don't we?"

"Yeah."

It was probably the most pitiful conversation I've ever had with her. So we just sat there, in silence, L sitting on my lap, resting her head on my shoulder. I carried her back to bed a few moments later, gently placing her in the comfort of her sheets and stuffed animal friends.

When it seems like the kids have been going crazy and are driving me nuts, these are the moments I treasure.