Life's Driving Force

The thing about life is that it moves entirely too quickly. There's a feeling that if life moves fast, somehow I must move faster. In doing so, though, I end up missing out on the most precious and simple moments of joy.

Sigh.

I've always felt that need to slow down, and finally today (albeit, for a just brief moment) I got to do just that.

Sitting at the breakfast table, Ethan began to "drive" using his cereal bowl as a steering wheel. He made the motor sounds and even "shifted" using his spoon.

At first, Emily and I just smiled at his imagination and continued eating our breakfast.

Then he announced quite loudly and excitedly that we'd "arrived" in New York City!

At that moment, for some unknown reason, I felt myself transported with him. I joined in his fun and marvelled at the tall buildings around us. Then I pointed to a Starbucks and suggested going there next.

He laughed and began "driving" us there. He then asked what I wanted to drink and served me quite genteelly.

"Hold on to your coffee!" he said and started to "drive" again.

"Where are we going now?" I asked.

"To church!" he said happily.

At church, we sang a song together and then got back in our car to drive to....the Art Show!

Quickly admiring a Monet and then a Bouguereau, we then boarded the car to race onward to...Walmart.  I told him I'd get us the big bottle of GermX that I needed.

I requested that we travel to my favorite toystore FAO Schwarz back in NYC. It was a quick trip, because then we had to go "bowling."

At the bowling alley, Ethan said he got lots of balls and threw two strikes! I said that I only got a spare. But Emily, who joined in the fun, got a strike, too. Ethan high-fived her.

After all the "journeying," we headed home and the cereal bowl once again became just a cereal bowl.

We laughed at the fun of "driving around" -- at least in our imaginations -- and finished our breakfasts...but somehow it felt as if we'd just had a wonderful adventure together.