Ordinary Moments and Light


Ever seen such joy?
A child’s imagination
In one inch of snow

I took our oldest girls for a walk this evening. Well, I walked, pulling them behind on our wooden toboggan as they took it all in.

There’s a magic about winter nights. It’s dark out, but with the ambient light of the city, the twinkling Christmas lights on trees and rooftops, and a moon nearly visible through the clouds, all reflected by a white blanket of snow, the darkness carries a glow that is filled with nostalgia.

We walked down a few trails, and up the neighbourhood sledding hill. From the top of the hill, our oldest declared, “This is the best place to see all the Christmas lights!” After taking in the view, the girls begged to sled down the hill. I cast aside my fear that they’d steer straight into some homemade jump invisible in the low light, and gave them a push. They hooped and hollered the entire way down, filling the silent night with their joyful giggles.

It’s these ordinary moments that are magical, aren’t they? These are the moments where I find I wake up, can breathe more deeply, and am filled with gratitude and awareness.

Rachel Liu, a photographer with a knack for capturing the magic of the daily life of a family in photos, put it beautifully:

Everyday I’m more convinced that magic is the chemistry of ordinary moments and light, both tangible and intangible.

Isn’t that great? Ordinary moments, and light.

May your eyes be open to seeing the magic of ordinary moments, mixed with light.