Why?

It's hot. I'm not in the best of moods, but I stop and let them play.

Why?
I stop and let them out because one day the colorful park

will have no meaning to them like it does now.

Why?

The swings and monkey bars will just be something they pass by on their busy way.

It won't get them excited. It wont make them jump

and squeal with delight when you pull in.

Life gets hard as they get older. They get busy...

I stop because to have them all on the playground of life together

for these next few years should be enjoyed and as I look

out over the park and see my children scattered, but together,

I'm once again humbled at how fast the time goes by.

Their laughs mingled. Their tears shared.

Their games together.

One day these will just be pictures they look at and flip to the next page

but right now this is my life. These pictures are what I will leave

to the them when I'm no longer here on this earth.

My legacy to them of their childhood memories.

They will look back and see that their childhood was filled

with parks, laughter, friendships, discipline, and yes, hard times.

I want them to remember holding hands and playing peek-a-boo together down a short road that

they will not remember without these pictures.

That's why I stop.

I grab a picture or two and I remember for them.

I snap their daily life together because one day they will move on and these times will be pressed out.

I stop because the ice-cream eating, park swinging,

slippy sliding, cat loving, movie watching, pallet sleeping,

note writing, doll playing, days are short.

I stop.

 Maybe you're just too busy to even think about stopping or

notice the road that you're on but, can I remind you that it's short?

Their laughter is loud but when they get older their laughter is replaced with hard decisions

 and hard life choices.When they're little you can hold and rock them and fix

almost anything with a band-aid. You can stop at a park and they will

run, play, laugh and love you deeply for doing it.

When they're older you can't fix it. You just have to stand

next to them and remind them of God's mercy and blessings

and remind them to be thankful but they have to do it.

They have to walk their own road of faith.

So I stop on this day and enjoy the small pleasures of seeing them

enjoying the colored slides, the swings that make their stomach catch.

I stop to remind myself to slow down and swing, laugh, play

and take a picture to go in their future album and maybe help them remember why you stop.