Thursday, October 18, 2007

Beautiful Day

A conversation with a very observant 3-year-old...

(Walking outdoors yesterday into a very mild, slightly breezy, sunny day. On our way to do errands.)

Sydney: "It's just a beautiful day, Momma."

Me: "You are so right, Sydney."

Sydney: "It's warm and sunny."

Me: "Yep, it really feels good out here doesn't it?"

Sydney: "Yes, it does."

(And then driving down the road towards our destination.)

Sydney: "Roll my windows down."

Me: "Why, Sydney?"

Sydney: "I want to see the clouds up close."

Me: "Okay."

(I rolled the windows down.)

Sydney: "I see a cloud. It's a circle."

Me: "Very cool."

Sydney: "I see one that looks like a camel."

Me: "Really?"

Sydney: "Do you see it, Momma?"

Me: "Well, it's kinda hard to study the clouds while I'm driving. Why don't you just describe them for me?"

Sydney: "There's one that has one line and another line across it. It's a cross."

Me: "That one sounds neat."

(Continuing on our way, doing errands and finally arriving back home. Leaving a little while later, to pick up the girls from school.We walked outside once again.)

Sydney: "It's just a beautiful day."

Sometimes it takes a three-year-old to get past the humdrums and the everyday routines. Sometimes it takes one of my children to remind me that I need to stop and "smell the roses." Sometimes I need to be reminded of these things--more than I really realize. And sometimes I just need to breathe a little "thank you" for them.

And as Sydney made me stop and look a little bit more closely yesterday to the "important things," I thought of this song. As a child, Dad and I often drove around together and sang songs. This was always one of our very favorites (and, even today, there is no better way to make my Sunday than to have this on our music list at church). It just puts a smile on my face and a little crack to my voice (also a little laugh at the word "disco" above Cat's head. It was 1973, after all!)



Enjoy... and have a beautiful day!

24 comments:

Unknown said...

and sometimes it take a child to make you want to pull out every hair on your head and crawl under the bed for a week.....

Cheryl Wray said...

Well...you're quite the cynic this morning, aren't you? (Although it's true sometimes...)

Delia said...

I love how children have a way of reminding us of the important things in life that we so often take for granted.

And I love that song.

Anonymous said...

Great song, just had to listen to it twice this morning, now it is staying in my head. I love CAT. I have to say one thing, love being a mother, and I have rasied three great kids, but this one little grand son is just wonderful, fantastic, loving, fun, tremdous, and did I say wonderful. The love you have looking at a grandchild, I will have to sing this song to him, (Shut up Gary). Thanks Cheryl.... for the song.

Cindy B

Kimberly said...

Wow..that song is from the year i was born..cool. I love those kinds of days, kids show you things u would of missed other wise. Like a camel cloud...too cute.

Monogram Queen said...

Yay for beautiful days! What a wonderful post Cheryl

LMBO at Gary 0 how true also!

Lynilu said...

Oh, yes, children bring perspective to us ... if we are listening. I'm glad you were!

Unknown said...

I love the perspective from a child!!! they see things in such a simple and sweet way....we always get so hung up on complicating those very same things!!

Sydney is adorable...enjoy your beautiful day!!!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely Golden! My work filtered the song, so I can't tell what it is though. Rats!

Unknown said...

You sure are telling me to shut up a lot cindy! And don't sing to that poor child and make him cry!

Cheryl Wray said...

Delia--Kids can put it into perspective, can't they?

Cindy--SO glad you loved the song today. It's always been one of my very favorites!!And, ahh...so sweet about the grandson! My Mom's always told me that being a grandmother is the best!

Kimberly--Yeah, I couldn't spot thecloud that looked like a camel. But pretty cute!

Patti--Yes, Gary got part of the picture right!! Kids can be a challenge too!

Lynilu--I try and make a conscious effort to really see things like mychildren do. And to listen to them!

Jessi--You are SO right!!!

Ryan--Well, that stinks!! "Morning has broken," Cat Stevens.

Gary--LOL

Adrienne said...

ROFLOL!! Gary is SO funny! LOL

Anonymous said...

love it! I took Chloe for a walk downtown today instead of by the river like usual, and she saw herself in all the store windows and squealed "baby" everytime she saw herself! Finally near the end of the street she said "baby! Aww coot Toey!" that's was it, my day was complete!

Cinderella said...

Kids are blessings! I feel badly for people who cannot conceive or who are missing children from their lives. They really keep you young. I don't know what I would do without mine. BEAUTIFUL story Cheryl.

Renee said...

Too sweet. I did a similar post last week about Emma.

camport said...

wow. I've got to get that song downloaded today. Just picturing a father and daughter driving down the road singing it together...choked me up. What a sweet memory.

Great post, great reminder.

:) Chrissy

Unknown said...

I hope she never loses that precious gift of seeing all the beauty that surrounds her.

Unfortunately, we tend to get too busy and forget to "really" look at the things around us.

She's a character!

Cheryl Wray said...

Adrienne--He does have his moments!! :-)

Heather--That is the CUTEST story!!!

Cinderella--It's so good to see you popping by now. We've all missed you! :-)

Renee--They are just too sweet!!

Chrissy--Some of my favorite childhood memories are of driving to school with my Dad and he and I singing songs together. We have always shared a love of music. He still gets out the Cat Stevens albums and CDs with me!!

Kathy--You are right. We do get too busy and have to MAKE ourselves notice the "little" things.

Dawn Bibbs said...

Oh how I love stories like these. As you know, I have "chats" like this with my Jayla all the time. It's a shame that as we grow older, we take "stuff" and "things" for granted. How AWESOME would the world be if we all saw the world and life through the eyes and the mind of a child. Talk about SWEET!!!

Thanks for sharing your moment.

NY KAT said...

That's so cute!

Phats said...

Aww how cute is she! That's cool.

ROLL TIDE!

Susie Q said...

Okay...now Gary's comment has me laughing out loud!
So true BUT then, there are those other moments like the one you just write about. We should all see life through the eyes of a child...and, as silly as this sounds, through a dog's eyes sometimes! Kipper really knows how to enjoy things! : )

It's these moments that make the life of a parent bliss doesn't it? : )

Love ya Cheryl,
Sue

AngelConradie said...

oh she's just so precious!

Theresa Tyree said...

These little moments are what make being a parent such an undescribable joy.