Beauty in waiting

We are home from our little vacation at the beach.  It really was a good time and extra special to watch the girls have so much fun by the ocean.  Watching them as they experience something completely new was so enjoyable.  After we got home we unloaded the van and I started cleaning the trash out and on the way back from a trip to the house I saw the most beautiful butterfly fluttering around the van.  I stopped in my tracks.  I have seen this butterfly or ones like it a few times since moving here.  It is mostly black with beautiful shades of dark blue on the inside lower part of the wings, and on the outside it is black with some blue and dark orange spots.  Really beautiful.  I've tried to get a close look at him before, but I got too close too fast and it flew away.  So, having learned from the last time, I was still.  I watched him as he showed off his beauty before my eyes.  I think he much have felt his admiring audience of one.  He was flying very close to me and landed on the van.  I slowly put out my hand next to where he landed and after a few minutes he put out his feelers and before you knew it he was in the palm of my hand.  I smiled (albeit carefully...didn't want to spook him with too much of a smile) as I looked at the amazing creature that was allowing me to experience all the beauty he had to offer.

There are so many times that I've rushed into things and missed the beauty that was right there for me had I been a little more patient.  My head could just explode with examples.  I'm sure we've all missed things in the rush...lets be honest, don't we do it every day?  Some of the most precious moments of my day are when I'm putting my little ones to bed.  Reading books to Haylee and listening to her end of the day ramblings are sometimes hilarious, sometimes ridiculous and sometimes so touching that it brings tears to my eyes.  Knowing this you'd think I'd be chomping at the bit to cherish those times, right?  Sometimes yes...and sometimes to be honest it's yet another thing that is still on my list of things to do at the end of the day. 

You know what the really awesome thing is?  There is always, without fail, more things to cherish and admire.  If we miss one thing we can be more cognizant and certainly try our best not to miss the next one.  I don't think I know one person who enjoys waiting.  It's not fun.  We anticipate something and we want it.  Straight up.  I'm not known for my patience, that's for sure.   I am learning though, maybe not as quickly as some, but I'm learning that there is beauty and even joy in waiting.