Being present today

I really love tulips. Let me just start out by saying that. I can't remember a time when tulips didn't have a special place in my heart. I think it may have started around when my sister was born and I drew a tulip. Or something like that. Mom, want to tell the story?

Today I bought some tulips. Some purple ones and some yellow ones. And I'm glad to have them.

I went to the playground today with a seven year old friend. I go to playgrounds with some frequency, and sit/stand and wait and then get bored and make the kids leave. But today I PLAYED on the playground. We played lava monster. Which was funny because I used to play that game when I was seven. Exactly the same. That's amazing. It reminded me of playing at recess with Autumn. When I was in first grade and she was in second grade. Sometimes we played on the play structures, but mostly we played house and things like that in the cedar trees. To this day the smell of cedar reminds me of that. I was sad the next year when Autumn went to a different elementary school. And I was really sad three years later when she went most of the way across the country. But, anyway, today I played lava monster. And there was this moment when me and my seven year old friend were sitting at the top of the play structure. In this little part of it that has a roof and is like a little house. Way up high. And it was breezy and misty but not too cold and not too wet. And we were just sitting there. Looking at the world around us. And I felt totally content. It's so wonderful to have moments like that.

Later we swung on the swings some. And I swung really high. Until I got a stomachache and a headache, which I still have now, three hours later.