Someday I won't have the time

Yes I may be tired.
Yes I may have fudgisicles unthawing in the car.
Yes I may have a dirty home that needs cleaning.
Yes I may have supper to get started.
Yes I may have other stores I wanted to hit up and look through.
...


But in this moment she is happy, and in this moment I'm the one that helped bring that smile on her face.

The truth is one day I might actually not have the time: I may have some sort of major deadline, someone else waiting for/needing me desperately, or declined health issues that place time limits.  But right now, I do have that time. I  have the time to play in the front yard of the clinic after our appointment. I have time to chase after her on the sidewalk as she goes as far away from where we parked as she desires. I have the time to let her walk down main street picking up and looking at every leaf and looking through every store window. I have the time to let her push the cart. I have the time to let her run down the isles. I have the time to let her touch every piece of clothing. I have the time to pick her up and show her what I'm doing in the kitchen. I have the time to have her put every single sock in the dryer. I have the time to let her help put away the dishes and "organize" the drawer with me. I have the time to read her the same book for the 10th time in a row. I have the time to play with her in the dirt that is our front lawn as the groceries lay sitting on the steps. I have the time to sing "sleeping bunnies" again and again for her. I have the time to let her 'refold' the clothes I just folded. I have the time to dance with her. I have the time to let her be...

It now takes me 3x longer to get anything done, but that's just 3x times longer I get to spend invested in this day we have together.

She may not remember all the fun she just had an hour ago or even 5 minutes ago. She may not be old enough to keep this moment as a tender memory to look back at. She may not realize the sacrifices I made so she could have the extra time having fun at a playground.  She may not know that her desires were met because of her Mommy's choices. She may not understand that this is her childhood I am helping build. But in this moment she is happy, and in this moment I am too.

A wise Walmart greeter once told me after coming up to my little one and making smiles at her,

 "If you don't have time for a little child then you don't have time for anything."

Heaven's slice is making time for a child.