A Moment...with Meagan

This moment comes courtesy from a walk I make often to the Smith's grocery store that is near my house. This walk began like any other.  I needed to pick up a prescription so I lathered Ellie in sun block, loaded her into her stroller, and off we were.  While on our walk, we passed many people, mainly construction workers because there is so much building going on around my house, and as usual I see everyone around me, but never notice anything that catches my eye, that is, until today.  But this person that I noticed wasn't a construction worker, he was a teenager, either a high school graduate or a senior.  He was at the gas station in the Smith's parking lot and the reason he caught my eye was because he was wearing swim trunks.  It was the swim trunks that threw me into my moment.  As soon as I saw them, I began to day dream about the life I had at his age when a hot summer day provided so many opportunities.  When waking up at 11:00 was the norm and calling your friends after lunch/breakfast was the daily routine.  When you could throw on your swim suit without a thought to how you looked because you hadn't yet gained 50 pounds when you were pregnant and no matter how many miles you run or how much water you drink it still hasn't gone away.  When it was so hot that the only thing to quench the heat was cliff jumping at Causey Reservoir.  When you looked so forward to the drive to the cliffs because somehow eight of you fit into my '91 Mazda Protege that has been through more accidents than Evil Kinevil has broken bones and nothing is better than that drive with the windows down, the wind blowing through my hair, a 32 oz. Mountain Dew in my cup holder, and Weezer's "Buddy Holly" playing in my CD player.  When you work your 15-20 hour a week job at $5.25 an hour so that after 2 weeks you receive the fortune that is about $150 dollars in your paycheck.  When thinking about the future meant if you were going to Taco Bell that night or roasting hots dogs over a campfire.  And finally, when the words mortgage, income, and health insurance weren't a part of your vocabulary.  

But suddenly, I was taken out of my daydream because my sweet daughter had dropped her Elmo, her most favorite thing and all I heard was, "Emo, bye bye,"  which is a sweeter sound than any symphony could ever play.  I picked it up and handed it to her, and as she took it from me she had a smile on her face that would melt the coldest man's heart and I thought to myself, nothing is better than this.