the walk

i took the kids on a walk tonight
the sun getting ready to start on it's descent
the 5:30ish haze hung over us we walked East
into our shadows like so many nights before
and i remembered walking behind 3 year old Gavin
in the same sunlight
on this same street of ours
on a night almost exactly like this one
time playing tricks on me
time the deceiver
time slipping through the cracks in the pavement
now my son almost looks like a teen
and i'm following another 3 year old
our daughter Miette
she waddles along happily
heading to Ginger's house
a place where we always feel safe
the same feeling i used to get whenever i visited my Grandparent's house
it has become a family ritual to go see Ginger on our walks
it's become a place of great comfort to me
and to my children
she gives them cookies when we arrive
they are so happy to see her
and so happy to eat cookies
the sunlight is streaming in through the kitchen windows
i feel as if we are in some sort of Rockwell painting
i snap some pictures so i won't forget the moment
i feel safe
and happy
then in a moment we're leaving
waving goodbye
so many things happening daily
all whirring past
i want to bottle and store each beautiful moment like this one
tag and organize each memory
document it all so i will never forget
but i can't keep up anymore like i once did
writing about every little thing
here in this very place the place where all my words came pouring out
for over 3 years
now i feel like i've barely time to collect even a single thought
nonetheless write about all the things happening in my life daily
so today i sit for a moment and compose this message to my future self
how will you be when you read this someday?
i'm at the same desk
in front of the same window
looking out over the same backyard i looked out at when i wrote all of those words before
so much has changed
yet so much remains the same
how long will this last?
how fast will it go by?
i wish it could go on forever like this...