Enjoy the Little Tykes

As a child, one of the qualities I loved most about my mother was her “spur-of-the-moment” talent. Within minutes she could plan a trip to the zoo, the beach, or a visit to the city. She was always the first one outside on a warm spring day to organize a family-and-friends softball team. She may not have been the best pitcher or batter, but she did fill our games with laughter.

I often think about my mother when I’m faced with seven loads of laundry, cereal-strewn kitchen counters, and a house that looks like it’s been ransacked. Housework and laundry will always be with me, but will three little companions?

I remember the days when I took time to enjoy my children—spending an hour barefoot in the sandbox, taking a winter afternoon to build a super space-station with every Tinkertoy in the house, or patiently teaching my five-month-old daughter how to sit up by herself. These are special memories for me and hopefully will be special to my children as the years pass.

“[Mothers] are, that they might have joy.” (2 Ne. 2:25.) Pamela Saley, Salt Lake City, Utah