It's all about the little things

I must admit, I've been feeling very harassed lately.  My cooking classes, which are going well and so much fun to do, still require a lot of time.  Add to it, a translation job with the exact same schedule as my classes, needing to plan for the summer, a quick weekend in NY possibly jeopardised by the BA strike, and the myriad of phone calls it takes to keep a life running smoothly and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.  I make a quick strike to Waitrose to gather ingredients for tonight's class and am tearing home.  I pass a mother and little boy on the street.  He's probably about three, doing the running, skipping thing little boys do because their legs just don't move fast enough for their liking.  He's also carrying on by himself because his mom's on her phone as she walks.  I try not to trip over him as I cross the street in my rush to get home.  Then, I hear him say, "look mum, flowers".  I expected the mom to just acknowledge briefly or even ignore him, how often have I done that do my kids.  But instead, she came to a dead stop, got down to his level and just matched his enthusiasm for how gorgeous the flowers were.  I wanted to go over there and congratulate her for being a wonderful mother, but of course I continued on my way.  It was a very little thing, but it made me stop and think, life is not about the grand gestures,  but an accumulation of little moments.  I know everyone says that, but I feel like I may have seen it first hand today.  Maybe I'm reading too much into this, but I feel like my life was made just a little better for having been a witness to their love.  A deep breath later, I am ready for the rest of my day filled with just a little more gratitude than this morning.