Treasures

Tonight, I was nearly knocked over by Little Miss.  She came up behind me as I was putting away dishes in a low cupboard, wrapped her arms around my back and squeezed.  I was tempted to scold her, but by the grace of God, I thanked her for the hug.
Through my mind flashed a day, not that long ago, that I walked into my parents' kitchen, walked up behind my mom as she washed the dishes, and gave her a hug--on a regular basis.  She never scolded, complaining that I was slowing her down or nearly strangling her.  She'd reach behind her and give me a pat right back.
The next image that flashed through my mind is a day, not too long from now, that Little Miss will storm out of the kitchen and slam the door at me.  I will definitely miss these hugs at that time.
I stopped right then and asked God's forgiveness.  And I asked for his help.  Help to remember all these little day brighteners in the years ahead.  As I prayed, I thought of a motherly example from the Bible.  As Mary experienced parenthood, she took time to treasure the things that happened and ponder them.
Now, my children are not remotely like Mary's child.  But they are gifts from God that need to be treasured every day.  From little hugs to "I love you"s, these are the treasures I'm storing in my heart.