Ordinary becomes extraordinary in one small moment

As I finished my autobiography last weekend and sent it off to my publisher, I’m struck how my ordinary life delivered such extraordinary moments. I don’t know whether it’s because I look for these moments and cling to them more vigilantly, or because extraordinary moments really happen to me.

Either way, there’s nothing more glorious than a captivating moment and most of them start with an ordinary day. I have one such moment that happened more than 15 years ago when my son Jason was a little boy.

It was December 2004 and we just moved into our new home in Simi Valley California. Our first single family home, I was so excited about decorating the house for the holidays. Practically every knickknack, picture, and mantle was dressed by either a red bow or green garland. I adored the entire process, the twinkling lights, and the anticipation of seeing the childlike awe it would bring to Jason who was 9 years old at the time. In typical fashion, I went all out and that included the backyard.

It was about 9 p.m. at night and we went outside to admire our glowing palm trees wrapped in what seemed like a zillion strands of white string lights. I’ll never forget what happened next. It was a clear night and Jason enjoyed talking about the solar system and naming the stars. As we viewed the brilliant flickering solar show, he said, “Mom, let’s pretend the stars are mistletoe” and then stepped on his tippy toes and kissed me on the cheek. I STOPPED STILL. I couldn’t breathe and then I said, “WOW, that’s such an amazing thought honey.”

As I concentrated on that magical moment, I wanted it to last in my memory banks for eternity. It was an extraordinary thought, an extraordinary moment, and an extraordinary connection between me and my son.

Over the years, I reflect on that moment a lot. I have hundreds more to share with you. That’s the essence of my book. These seemingly individual acts of love that nurture our hearts, our minds, and our souls.

We all can create these moments. It can be in the form of a gift, a gesture, a song, a care package, a statement. Just as a child plays pretend, I love imagining the possibilities. Pretending never felt so good.