Brave Enough to Slow Down

I took Little Miss shoe shopping tonight. I was tired, but she was so excited and skipped right to the shoe aisle when we arrived at Target. We searched the clearance section first, as usual, but the size and style selection were limited. We finally found a pair of sneakers that she loved. I tried to convince her to go for another pair that were a bit cheaper, but she had her eyes set on the "Clemson colors". I was dragging my feet and eyeing the dollar signs on every pair and all she cared about was how fast she could run and if the colors matched her favorite college football team. Isn't that what being seven should be about anyway?

When leaving Target I was still on my quest to find something beautiful and I did. There was another momma, tired as well I'm sure, running through the parking lot pushing her baby at full speed. They were laughing and it was the sweetest sound.  I watched as a creeper from my car and saw the effort she mustered up to make her baby laugh. The sun was gone and there was a bustle in the streets to get home and prepare for school, but in the midst of all this, she placed one foot on the back of the cart, and she flew with her baby. I could tell, from my creepy perspective in the car, that in that moment, the baby's happiness was all that mattered.

We finally made it to a  neighboring shoe store to find flat, everyday type shoes, and life's beauty hit me again. Another momma dancing right in the middle of the clothing aisle with her toddler. As if no one else in the world mattered. Those moments make the tough moments worth it. Would I have missed those moments had I been rushing to find the perfect pair of shoes for Little Miss? Would I have heard the laughter of the baby had I been dragging Little Miss across the parking lot? Would I have ignored another hug if I wasn't still enough to feel it as her arms wrapped around my tired body and said, "Thank you, mommy."

I'm learning that it takes bravery to slow down, and when I do, I don't have to look far to find something beautiful.