Dear Kids,
Mom here. Last night I watched the three of you climb all over each other in my bed. The covers were disheveled and a basket of laundry called for attention from the floor, but the best light of the day was spilling through the curtains, creating a perfect sun stage where you played. I watched as you all wrestled, arms tangling, laughter escalating, feet kicking, blond wisps of hair escaping, eyes squinting, sunlight dancing, and I felt it–that moment that happens every day–some days, over and over so many times, it’s near constant; some days, holding out for its one opportunity to shine, to be noticed for its magnificence.
And I want you to know about this moment because the world may lead you to believe that what’s in that moment comes in a package, in a perfect image tied like a carrot at the end of a stick, and that’s not true. It’s here, in this light, in this home, in this imagination. In the milky skin in the apples of your cheeks when you smile and even when you don’t. In the warmth of that hand touching yours, in your sister’s eyes, in your brother’s laugh that lightens the mood of a room. In the light on the puddle of those sheets, the colors of that floral print, in the hunt of the magic that is hidden in a hundred corners of this place, any place. This is happy.
This is what I want for you. Not a free pass from pain or a packaged image of a perfect life we can slip inside our Christmas cards each year. When I say I want you to be happy, it’s this. Little moments tucked in life, even when it’s hard or messy or difficult to understand. I want you to feel the little surge of goodness that comes from tasting the sweetest orange or hearing a good laugh or feeling the sun on your shoulders.
May you know these moments well. May you find them, create them and share them. May you celebrate the moments of others, however different from yours they may be.
THIS is happy.
Love,
Mom
On that note, this video from Happy Family is one of my favorite commercials I’ve seen in a while. I teared up, laughed and hit “play again” as soon is it was finished–a simple and beautiful representation of all the kinds of happies out there (and mom’s face when she sees the drawing her kid made of her–hilarious).
Happy Family is one of the largest and fastest growing organic food companies to offer a comprehensive line of nutritious foods for babies, toddlers, kids, moms-to-be and on-the-go adults (I think that hits ’em all). Their organic baby food pouches are not only great for babies but can be used in smoothies and baking recipes. How families define and achieve happiness varies greatly, and I love how their This is Happy campaign is encouraging families to embrace their individual ideas of what happiness means to them instead of comparing their ideas to others. As they put it, “All of life’s moments, both big and small, shared by families in even the busiest of times, capture the essence of happiness.” Hear, hear!
Happy Family is giving away a two month supply of Happy Family Organics products to one lucky reader. Enter giveaway below.
I love getting glimpses of your happy family..and the video is indeed so dear.
I would love for you all to always be that happy.
Love it! We have to enjoy those moments- the ones that are fun and the ones that are hard. It’s all part of life- thanks for the reminder! The giveaway sounds great!
I can only hope to see such happiness in the child I’m about to have. He or she (we’re not finding out until the big day, only a bit more than a month from now) may not get any brothers or sisters, but there will be plenty of friends and “cousins” around to share in the joy of childhood.
Your family is an inspiration and I love reading your blog with all of the pictures and feels; the happy and the hard. Keep on keepin’ on, mama. I’ll keep reading!
this post was PERFECTLY written!
You hit the nail on the head, Kelle. I loved how you made this into a letter for your kids. That’s one of my own personal favorite ways to write — in a form of a letter to my children. And the “This is Happy” video? I cried. I’m also pregnant, but I probably still would have cried. Happy Family — they smashed that one out of the park.
Wow! The video! Every part. Especially the end scene. Giving birth…it’s a feeling you can’t explain or describe…it’s such a unique experience. I have three boys and love the times when I look around and think, “this is what life is about.” Even though most of our time is chaotic (they are 6, 3, and 1; it’s wonderful.
I’d never thought of using the pouches for anything but feeding babies. Love the ideas!
oh my gosh — I laughed out loud at the mom who sees the drawing her child did of her. The hair. LOL — I have a similar drawing that my daughter did for me. I didn’t know it but she was watching me and drew a photo of me. “mom…here, I drew this picture of you” and it was me, sitting at the computer, with my hair tied up in a knot. LOL — she was six years old, and I still have that photo. It reminds me to let my hair down once in a while…and to not spend so much time on the computer!
This totally resonates with me and this is what I want to capture, authentic moments. I found a method that works well as I can’t always be in these intimates moments with my clients or even my own family, it’s called Beloved. let me know if you want to know more.
the other thing is to be on the photos yourself, because the photos will come to mean a lot to your kids too.
Visit this link for a short Barbie video that shows Barbie traveling to Mt. Rushmore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxSwO0ibw0Y
This. Made. Me. Happy.
I needed this. I am so guilty of running on to the next thing, that I often forget to just enjoy the ‘NOW.’ I just quit working to stay at home with my babes, and I am trying REALLY hard to shift my thoughts from the things that need to be done vs the things that are happening right now. The smiles, the laughs the playing. I want to be engulfed in it, its just hard for me to let go of all of the responsibilities. I needed this so much. I thank you deeply.
Has a winner been selected? I am anxiously awaiting hearing my name!!!