ramblings

I took a walk to a nearby park today to sit in the sun for a few moments, away from my desk, away from the headache-inducing-if-I-stare-too-long monitor light.

I lay down on a hill, kicked off my heels and silenced my phone.

I watched a little girl--4, 5 years old--run barefoot in the surprisingly plush grass against a cityscape backdrop. I watched as she became preoccupied with observing a small butterfly hop from wildflower to wildflower. I watched as she watched; eyes wide with wonder, mouth poised in a permanent "oooh" shape.

I watched as her face lit up with genuine delight each time the butterfly moved closer to her "hiding" spot; as she giggled and tried to nestle even closer to the earth.

I watched as she squealed and looked back at her mother as if to say "can you believe what we're seeing?!" when the butterfly finally fluttered above her head; as if the flight of this simple bug was the highlight of her entire day.

I watched this scene on a sunny hill in the park today, away from my desk and my headache inducing monitor light and all I could think was Damn. When did this stop being the highlights of our days, too?