All Summer long I have heard friends and coworkers talk about their extravagant vacations and ask in turn where my family was going this summer. Each time I responded “nowhere” feeling somewhat inadequate. Why weren’t we traveling more? Should we plan something quickly? It became a subject that I started to dread and as each person returned from their trip to the shore, Disney, or abroad, I attempted to dazzle them with tales of the playground, grocery store, and living room.

Then one Sunday, sitting in church reading Proverbs, our pastor reminded me that "the most important things are the ones we do over and over again. These things shape who you become." This inspired gratitude for my daily routine, which although sometimes monotonous, creates the memories that I will remember forever.

Shortly afterward, my toddler and I walked around the block with her pushing a toy baby stroller when a stranger walking by yelled "treasure these moments because they go fast." As cliché as it sounded, I smiled down at her and took a mental snapshot. We had a day full of some of our usual Summertime habits-- playing at our local playground, walking around our neighborhood, and swimming in our inflatable pool. We made pancakes for breakfast and had take-out from our favorite pizzeria for dinner. We took naps. We read books. It was as Saturday as Saturdays are. And I couldn't help but keep thinking about those words that "the most important things are the ones we do over and over again." I realized that all of these seemingly small moments shape the mother I have become and I wouldn’t trade any of them for anything more glamorous.

So as Summer simmers out into Fall, I appreciate all of the small moments that shape our family without envy for the fortune of others. Someday we will make it to Disney, but that will be but one memory in a collection of mental postcards collected over years of daily treasures. We are rich in our love, humble in the path before us, and happy in our simple life.

[All opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.]