Park Days Are the Best Days
Days at the park are never misspent.
You ask me to touch the sand collected on your shovel, “Touch the sand, Mommy!” as if I could say no to that.
You run away as I try to put sunblock on your perfect skin, while rubbing some on your head as your hair grows back from your last haircut.
Up the stairs of the three story climbing apparatus and down the twirly slide that spins us more then I’d like.
You ask for it again and again, but not wanting to go by yourself just yet.
To the swings where you still fit into the baby ones, while I know this will be your last summer in one of them.
To the bumblebee jumper where you shout to me from the picnic table, “Mommy look at me!” as I give you a wave while taking a sip of water.
As each new child joins us in our play, you unabashably go up to them and ask them to play.
Other moms smile at me as we watch our babies form fast and loose friendships that can only be made at this special place.
It takes all I can muster to convince you to stop for some water and a snack, there’s too much fun to be had.
You run laps around the playground as if running a marathon, waving to me as you jog by.
These warm spring days, with the sun warm on our faces and on our skin, are longed for after the harshness of winter.
Our hearts and our bodies crave days like this one, as if a part of our soul gets reawakened from a long cold nap.
This was our first trip but it won’t be our last, we’ll come back to this one and try out that other park across town, jumping around as if in search of the Holy Grail of play areas.
It won’t matter where we land, as long as we go, sometimes with big brother and sometimes with our friends.
It will all be worth it because days at the park are never wasted.
