Little Things That Make A Parent Smile

Every once in awhile a parent gets to see their child do something small — infinitesimally small — that lets them know that somewhere along the way they did things right.  I got that experience tonight.

I had a to leave the house before the kids were done with dinner.  A couple of hours I returned home and the kids both had headed up to bed for the night.  I caught up on some Netflix (there’s this show, about a plane crash on an island, and a dinosaur just at the pilot…) then decided to start heading to bed myself.  As I headed into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator I saw it, something fantastic…

The bowl of udon noodle salad that we had for dinner was put away in the fridge and covered with plastic wrap.  I literally stopped and stared at it for a good 30 seconds, feeling tears of pride welling up in my eyes.  I realized then as I turned to look at the dining table that their plates had all been cleared, put in the sink, and rinsed off.

I wasn’t here.  I didn’t do any of it.  They did.  I didn’t get a text message or a phone call while I was out asking me “What should we do with the pasta?”  It was just done.

Maybe I’m overreacting.  Maybe it really isn’t that big a deal.  Naw… for me it was a little thing that really does mean a great deal.