Life is interesting. The average American lives 77.5 years, which translates into 28,307 days of which relatively few really stand out. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months and months into years and looking back we seldom can recall more than seasons.

There are however those few days which stand out; High School Graduation, our wedding day, the birth of our children, the loss of a friend, days which for one reason or another were truly life changing. There are still other days, which may not seem life changing, but have the ability to alter the course of our life. These moments can mold our hearts, such was the case earlier this week.

This was one of those weeks that was non-stop, work and meetings dictated my schedule. Mid week I was already tired and was heading up stairs to go to bed. I heard Maggie in her bedroom playing some music so I decided to see what she was working on. Lately she’s been learning the lap-dulcimer and she said she was trying to play a Taylor Swift song. So I told her I’d like to hear it. She continued and I listened as she sang these words:

I’m five years old, it’s getting cold, I’ve got my big coat on
I hear your laugh and look up smiling at you, I run and run
Past the pumpkin patch and the tractor rides, look now, the sky is gold

I hug your legs and fall asleep on the way home

I don’t know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you’re not scared of anything at all
Don’t know if Snow White’s house is near or far away
But I know I had the best day with you today

I’m thirteen now and don’t know how my friends could be so mean
I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys
And we drive and drive till we found a town far enough away
And we talk and window shop until I forgot all their names

I don’t know who I’m gonna talk to now at school
But I know I’m laughing on the car ride home with you
Don’t know how long it’s gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today

I have an excellent father, his strength is making me stronger
God smiles on my little brother, inside and out, he’s better than I am
I grew up in a pretty house and I had space to run
And I had the best days with you

There is a video I found from back when I was three
You set up a paint set in the kitchen and you’re talking to me
It’s the age of princesses and pirate ships and the seven dwarfs
And Daddy’s smart and you’re the prettiest lady in the whole wide world

Now I know why all the trees change in the fall
I know you were on my side even when I was wrong
And I love you for giving me your eyes
For staying back and watching me shine
And I didn’t know if you knew, so I’m takin this chance to say
That I had the best day with you today

As she sang those words it was like my little girl grew up before my eyes, my mind raced back to my little Maggie and those simple yet special memories, dance recitals, carving pumpkins, walks around our little town, and it became painfully clear – the leaves on the trees are beginning to change. This season of life is rapidly coming to an end. In less than a year both of my precious little girls will be on a college campus and their time at home will be reserved to a few months in the summer or a few weeks at Christmas. Those special times of taking walks or playing music together on a whim will soon be greatly limited. Though I was tired, I walked downstairs, grabbed my guitar and we played through the song several more times together. I could hardly hold back the tears, but I did. We smiled and sang together as we had done many times before in our home, but this particular night, sandwiched in between the hustle and bustle of life, was truly special.

All too often I have allowed that which is far less important to dictate my schedule, but those few moments at the end of a long Wednesday, reminded me of the importance of taking time to simply enjoy my family. I was so thankful I did not allow the fact that I was tired and had another long day on Thursday keep me from spending that time with my daughter. It may not have been a milestone day, in fact in many ways was an ordinary day in the Frye house, but Wednesday, February 26th was truly one of those “Best Days” I will remember as long as I live.