Recently we had a rainy Saturday. What was originally planned as a double soccer/gardening day was now a washout. I showed my husband the email with glee at 10:00 p.m. that Friday night.
A free Saturday! Even better, a stuck inside while it was pouring rain outside Saturday.
With two active little boys, getting outside and staying busy is often our go-to weekend agenda. This has always been the case, especially now that both boys play soccer and hockey. Throw in a few birthday parties and social plans, and it’s usually go, go, go!
I enjoy the pace of our weekends. I’m very careful not to overschedule, but my boys will be busy and running around whether they are playing a sport or not.
I am so grateful their young, healthy bodies crave movement and that they love being social and getting out there.
But occasionally, the gift of an unexpected Saturday home with just the four of us is magical.
We did puzzles, raided the art cabinet, cuddled up and watched a movie. We actually sat down and ate lunch together, and I had helping hands in the kitchen again as I tried a new healthy muffin recipe.
It was truly reminiscent of a not-so-distant time when we were stuck at home together with zero plans or obligations. Dare I mention quarantine?
What made this Saturday a true gift, however, was that it was only one day. We knew the next morning, it would be back to all the craziness waiting for us. There was an end in sight. This was a pause, not a stop. A fleeting group of hours that we had no set schedule, no plans, no desire to leave in the pouring rain, and simply the privilege of time together.
It felt like a no strings attached gift, an anonymous donation of time.
And unlike the early years of two kids at home or quarantine, knowing it was only for a day made it much sweeter; the inevitable fighting between my boys was much more bearable.
