It's the Little Things

(Since it is Father's Day weekend, this is the first blog post by the mysterious, little seen, and rarely heard from husband and father of the Huffman Crew)

Yes, it's the little things. One night long ago, I was on the way to the library to study with a friend and Van Morrison's Moondance came on the radio. We've all heard that song a thousand times. We've heard it so many times it is really not very interesting anymore. But, on this rainy night, it was the most amazing thing in the world to me. I forced my friend to sit in the car and listen to every last note. He impatiently stared out the window while I lost myself in the song and lost myself in the moment. And I wondered why we can't appreciate every little moment in life as much as I enjoyed that song on that night.

Fast forward to today and I just had the most wonderful day with my 3 "little things" and my wife. We did nothing special at all really. I barely even left the house. But, so many wonderful little things happened. And, I thought to myself time and time again that these are the little things that make life worth living.

Holly has made it clear that my permission to post on this blog is tentative at best so I'm going to try to keep this brief. Believe me, I've been tempted to start my blogging career talking about how fascinated I am still about the article I read 11 years ago about the Biological Basis of Morality. Or, discussing just how amped I am to set up some wireless outdoor speakers to blast Pandora into our backyard from my computer. Or, just how cool I think Shaun White's Wii Snowboarding game with the Wii Balance Board is even though I look like a fool when I play it.

But, no, on the eve of Father's day, I just want to say that it's the little things that matter so much. Some days, as a parent of 3 little kids with lots of personality, it can be hard to remember that. But, today was one of those days you want to remember forever. Like when Marley snuggled up next to me while I was putting her down for a nap. Then, we all played in the back yard for hours and it was just a perfect windy sunny day with nowhere to go and nothing to do but play on the swings and slide down the slide. When both Keller and Casey asked me multiple times to lay in bed with them a bit longer, I again felt like a very lucky man. I mean, sure, Keller was just asking because he is growing increasingly afraid of Monsters. But, he still wanted ME there with him. Plenty of days go by when these same things happen and they don't affect me the same way. But, today, this day, they made me feel like everything in life is just pretty much perfect. When Holly punches me in the arm until it is red and stings, it's just another little way she is showing me she loves me! When Holly and I both stop to appreciate just how much we love Ray LaMontagne, that's a little thing I'll plan to remember for a long, long time.

So, take all those little things and add them up, and it's a perfect day in my world. My Father's Day has already been made and it hasn't even really begun. The wheels may fall off tomorrow and it won't matter. But, I'm still looking forward to those blueberry pancakes in the morning. It's the little things like blueberries in your pancakes after all that make Father's Day so special.