Tonight, my boys were wound up and bouncing a bit more than usual. And after I made the, “We need to start getting ready for bed,” announcement, my 4.5 year old wound up even tighter. But then he looked at me with sincere eyes and said, “Mom, I know what will calm me down: The BIG Rock.”

The BIG Rock, as it is formally known at our house; is a sizable rock that sits in the last yard, at the end of our block. It is the agreed upon turn-around-point for boys who are adventuring down the sidewalk on their Big Wheels and scooters, and it has been a favorite stop on family walks since the boys were old enough to ride along in a stroller.

“I think we need to walk to The Big Rock, Mom. That will help me calm down for bed.”

I started to say, “Maybe tomorrow;” but then I caught myself before the words came out. I chose, instead, to embrace this small moment with my little man: to find joy in the not-always-joyous struggle of bedtime.

As we began to walk, Kai held my hand and snuggled up to my side. He rambled off a play-by-play of each crack in the sidewalk, each bump he likes to ride over, and nearly infinite knowledge of each spot along the way. As we neared the end of the block, Kai announced proudly: “It’s coming, Mom!”

And when we arrived at The BIG Rock, he jumped up onto the rock with fanfare. He gave me a grin, declaring: “And now I will sit on The BIG Rock. And YOU will take my picture!”

I laughed as I fumbled to pull out my phone and snap a few pics: happy for this moment together. And then, as quickly as he jumped up on the rock, he jumped back down and we walked home hand-in-hand.  And though the moment was brief, it was special.

The walk home was a little quieter as Kai tried to catch his shadow among the numerous looooooong shadows of the late, summer evening.

And even though he wanted to race me up the sidewalk to our door, he remained amazingly calm once we walked through it. He greeted Patrick with a smile and a snuggle, and he gave us NO arguments as I escorted him up to bed. After a hug and a kiss, he snuggled into his bed, and he was asleep within moments of laying down.

I found myself still grinning about our trip to The BIG Rock for sometime after Kai went to bed, and it made me ponder our small moment with that BIG Rock…

Maybe The BIG Rock has calming powers after all! Or maybe we’d all sleep better if we could stop and find joy in those tiny moments of connection that are often so easy to pass up because we are busy, or because they don’t follow our set schedule for the day.

And so, once again, I find myself challenged to find joy in my journey. I find myself thanking God for these sweet boys who challenge me and inspire me. And as the sweet, quiet moments of tonight give way to the frustrations and challenges that will inevitably find their way back into my day, I challenge myself to find joy in a BIG Rock or a short walk tomorrow. And, just as Kai leaned into me, may I lean into my Heavenly Father’s embrace as I try to find my way there.

May we all find joy in a BIG Rock or a short walk; in a chosen moment of joy today!