Let them play in the dirt. As long as they want to, as much as they want to. As often as they can.
Let them be messy, and let them be explorers. Let them be little.
Some of my best memories are of following my mom and my aunt, row by row, hunting for lady bugs in the field while they were working. At lunch time, I’d get that bologna on plain white bread out for our picnic. I think they pulled me in a little red wagon.
Living can cost lots of money, but it doesn’t always have to, and sometimes the most fun comes when it doesn’t.
It’s nice to go on vacation and buy new items but I also want my girls to learn to be content where they are. I want them to make something out of nothing and to love each other more than things. To think, to dream, and to play. To learn that it’s time spent that they will remember, not toys.
I want my girls to really know there are better things than tv’s and tablets. To embrace summer nights and fall days. To simply be happy, be wild, and be free.
I remember lady bugs, my family, my sandwich, and being happy. I wonder what they will remember.
One of the most precious lessons we can ever learn is to value people and experiences. I hope they find that family is always there, and life is always good. I hope they play in the dirt.
