Puddles.

Luci Belle,

I hope I always remember the day you asked me, "Walkin?  Red boots?" and you dressed yourself quite creatively to take a walk in the rain puddles after all-night thunderstorms saturated our neighborhood.   Armed with a tube of chap stick and a bottle of bubbles, you eagerly climbed down the front steps and asked me to draw "tat-tats" (kitty cats) on the wet sidewalk with soggy turquoise chalk.  Exchanging the bubbles and chap stick for the chalk, your new treasure, you sought out the biggest and muddiest puddle on our street to splash through with utter and complete toddler joy.

After a few minutes of splashing, you asked, "You too?," gesturing for me to join you.  In my adultlike practicality, I hesitated to put my clean shoes in the puddles or sit on the wet sidewalk with you.  But I'm glad I did.  And as I felt my pants soak through with water and my freshly blow-dried hair curl and frizz in the humid drizzle, I knew that life was made of glittering moments like these.

As you get older, here's something to remember, my sweet girl:
adults walk around puddles; children run through them. 

Keep "running through" as long as you can, and hold on to your childlike joy.  This life is the only one you've got.  And it just isn't as fun without puddle-splashing and walks in the rain.

Love,

Mommy