picking up jackson from school has become one of my favorite things to do. after getting buckled into his car seat, he asks for his juice and proceeds to chug until he realizes that he needs to breathe.

then he takes a break and tells me stories. but they run together, these stories. jackson gets caught up in details and trying to relay every last one of them that they tangle and wrap around one another. soon after that, all of the information he wants to pass on to me clumps together like spaghetti that is in dire need of a splash of olive oil to separate the noodles.

stories about graham crackers and juice and getting water out of the fountain but dribbling water down his shirt. jumping on a bridge and not eating sand while playing trucks. cooking pancakes with mushrooms in the kitchen and painting worms. running and jumping with friends and helping a favorite friend who fell out of a chair.

but the best part of jackson’s stories is the voice. this bright, excited, joyful voice that is so stinkin happy to share moments of the day with me.

so i ask questions and keep him talking and soon after he begins to remember more and expand on his stories. occasionally he pauses and remembers that he needs to breathe, gather his thoughts, and then continue.

it dawned on me today, as i sat down to write a blog post, that i feel like jackson must feel after a day at school. there is so much i want to share in this space of mine. so much to say.

yet it’s all jumbled up in my head at this moment. it’s snipets of stories and details of another and thoughts about things that aren’t but could be… and it’s turned into that olive oil deprived spaghetti.

so i’m left with a lot of feelings. good feelings, mostly. positive things some happening, some i hope to happen one day. and i’m taking a moment to remember to breathe. i get overwhelmed easily.

life is good and experiences (both good and bad) present themselves so we are able to grow and turn into the people we want to become, the parents we want to become.

because at the end of the day, when we tuck our little ones into bed, we are the ones sharing our stories with them… hopefully passing on precious words they will remember.