Small time

Small time is discovered in the everyday. If you rush you miss it.

Jack toddles into the bathroom and peers into the bath. He points at the ducks, the boats, the red one, the yellow one and the blue one, and then points at the shampoo. He closes the door, and opens it again. He tries that twice, just to make sure. He notices the metal lock on the door, the shiny catch. He slides it forward and back, clicking it against the end of the runner, then moves his finger along the edge. He touches the screws, feeling their shape and the way they sit. He opens and closes the door again. Then we are done.

I often slip into the habit of rushing to the next thing. Spending time productively. Thinking ahead to the next thing we have to do. I could easily miss this small time, push through it, to the toys, to dinner, to the bath, to bed. Small time doesn’t last long, it can just be a fleeting moment, but it’s a moment that is allowed to breathe. Small time is there to be discovered every day with Jack. I just need to make sure that I pause to find it with him.