fifteen minutes

For fifteen minutes tonight, I was in heaven. We were all watching Toy Story 3 and for the end of the movie, I convinced Emelie to snuggle with me on the couch, just like we used to when she was little. I laid down first and she spooned in front of me so we could both watch Woody and the gang come to grips with Andy growing up. I could kiss the back of her head a dozen times a minute and wrap my arm around her waist. And so I did because I couldn't help myself. Just like I used to... I hadn't had that opportunity for years. Years. I was immediately overwhelmed with emotion. For I hadn't realized how much I missed that. And how quickly time was passing. I swear it seems like just yesterday that we snuggled and watched Dora or Blues Clues or some other random kid show. And within seconds, I was fighting back tears (as I am right now writing this). Tears that show up when you aren't prepared for any overwhelming emotion pulling at your very soul. Tears of gratefulness, sadness and joy. Emelie didn't notice, nor did anyone else. And had they been discovered by my usually very observant offspring, they easily could have been passed off as "movie tears" for the gang as they were saying farewell to a part of their lives and now it was time to move on. Which makes those fifteen minutes even more surreal. I was in a moment of art imitating life and life imitating art, watching MY precious moment being played out on the screen before me as it was happening. 

I am so grateful to have had one more moment with my doodle to help me remember that it really is the little things that make us complete.  And to not take them for granted.