Big Slide

 "Being challenged in life is inevitable; being defeated is optional." Roger Crawford

Last Saturday I loaded Mo and Peanut up and we spent the morning at a sweet little park in Oxford. It's one of Peanut's favorites and has a few playground features the other parks we frequent do not (such as a zip line!).

We hunkered down for about 3 hours. We cheered on a Breast Cancer walk. We met multiple families just enjoying the pretty day like us. And as we were leaving, we watched some moms set up for a birthday party.

Somewhere in there, 4 kids unsupervised showed up at the park. No grown up. The oldest (a boy) was about Lyndie's age and then they were like stepping stones (3 sisters) down from there.

The 3 sisters hurriedly joined the playground fun.

Big brother walked around the playground. Ever watchful. Taking his big brother job very seriously.

He never played. Never let himself laugh or get caught up in the creative games the girls made up.

My mama heart hurt for him. So much responsibility for such a small boy.

I wanted to remind him that he was just a young boy himself. That the playground was for him too. I wanted to offer to hawk watch those 3 precious sisters and take that burden from him.

The Mama Bear in me (which for some reasons my own kids call a "Karen thing") couldn't leave until I knew they had an adult nearby. Finally one of the smaller ones got thirsty and big brother walked her to an adult in a car a block away to get a drink.

I've been thinking about those kids this week.

How the 3 sisters played so joyfully. Unaware of the responsibilities that come with playground supervision.

How the big brother focused on every possible danger. He stood under them as they zip lined - they may fall. He stood a few feet from them as they wanted to come to meet MO - strangers can be dangerous. He walked them to the car - cars may not see little girls.

He was acutely aware of all the ways he was responsible for them.

So much so that he was unable to enjoy all they had to offer.

The responsibilities sucked the joy out of the park day.

Finding joy WITHIN the responsibilities may just be the key to happiness.

Peanut desperately wanted to teach Mo to slide.

I realized how much like the little boy I often am. Bench sitting. Watching for danger. Overthinking all the things.

When there's a whole playground literally within steps of my feet.

When there were no children on the playground, Peanut and I spent 20 minutes or so teaching Mo to go up the steps and down the slide.

Never has a child been so giddy with pure joy the way Peanut was the first time Mo put two paws on that slide and they got away from him. He went sliding fast and loved it. Right back to the steps to do it again he went.

Over and over we went up up the stairs and down the slide. With our background noise happy barks and belly laughs.

Mama Warriors, adulting is serious business. The responsibilities and "to do's" can feel overwhelming.

But I firmly believe we were made to feel great joy in the little things in life.

If we aren't careful, we'll all be little 8 year old boys standing just feet away from a full life while choosing to life in a just okay one.

Psalm 16:11

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

Let's all get off the benches this weekend and go down the big slide.