Half An Hour

Becoming a mother sure has changed my concept of time! I will attempt things I never would have before. I take any spare moment as an opportunity to be productive (well, often I actually choose to relax or waste time, but that's not the point). Half an hour would have been nothing in the past but now it is enough to gratefully accomplish almost anything.

Half an hour. Enough time for a solid workout. A quick household tidy or a comprehensive vacuum of the living room (I love having a dog, but really hate the hair!). A thorough dog brushing. A nice walk. A relaxing chapter of a book. A good prayer or devotional. A healthy snack. A swim?

Tonight my daughter and I finished our delicious dinner just as my husband walked in. I mentioned she'd had quite a late nap and so it would be the perfect evening to do something. I suggested we try a quick swim. What time was it? I looked at the clock. It was 7:20. There may be time. But we would have to leave NOW as the pool closed at 8pm. That gave us only 40 minutes.

I popped my girl out of the high hair and brushed the lasagna particles off her pants. Come to think of it, I don't even recall wiping her tomatoey hands. I placed her on the floor and daddy and I rushed down the hall to get ready. We changed as I frantically tried to untwist my bikini straps. Dad grabbed a back pack and while I somewhat shaved (really!) he threw in three towels. I grabbed shampoo and a diaper and as we rushed through the kitchen we scooped up our toddler and put on her boots. I impatiently stood at the truck door as daddy ruffled through coat pockets looking for his keys. I finally strapped in my damsel as she wondered with wide eyes what the rush was all about. Off we went!

We got to the pool quite quickly and enjoyed half an hour of splashing and kicking, playing with floating fish, and pouring water from a watering can down our faces. We tossed a ball (and bounced it off daddy's little girl's head) and played on the stairs. We cruised the lazy river and relaxed in the jacuzzi. We took photos of her smiley face as she treasured this moment with mom and dad. It was perfect. Just enough time to have a lovely before-bed swim. We followed with a cleansing shower and came home for a snack while daddy finally ate dinner.

Half an hour. Full. Fun. Family. Laughter. Pictures. Memories. Just half an hour. Imagine what adventure and fellowship the rest of our lives could hold?