Coloring Outside the Lines
Unlocking core memories in the middle of winter
I never want to forget today. I think to myself. The tassels reflect the sunshine as her bike sways back and forth. Her tinkerbell sweatshirt matches the purple helmet adorned with flowers atop her head.
Some of my favorite motherhood moments have come from unscripted, spontaneous adventures. Living in the rainy Pacific Northwest, it is far more common during the winter months to find ways of entertaining ourselves indoors. While I love a good puddle-jumping session every now and again, mud being tracked through the house and dirtying more than one outfit on multiple little bodies, adding to the laundry pile I already can’t keep up with, is something best saved for special occasions.
It’s on days when the sunshine catches me by surprise that my heart leaps into action, craving connection through adventure. Its rays illuminate my soul, beckoning me to stop whatever I’m doing to get outside and savor it with my more than willing kids. Unscripted moments tucked within days like these are where joy sprouts through the dormant surface of my soul, inviting me to reach for whimsy in an otherwise normal day.
Recently, a sunshine-filled day tucked within wintery grey skies pulled me from the list of items I was quietly checking off. Quickly gathering each of the kids into the car, I said through a smile, “Kids! Mama has a fun idea. Who wants go with me?” A chorus of “I do!” broke out, and before I could second-guess it, my foot was on the gas, driving to a nearby trail. Unloading the double stroller and bike, we all took off toward the path tracing the river. Giggles and glee bubbled up and over from us all. For a few minutes, we were happy to be together outside. Nothing else mattered.
Is this what unbridled joy feels like?
So many of our daily rhythms are planned. Living according to a schedule keeps the necessities of life maintained rather than being overwhelmed by them sweeping up and through. Even as a writer, I like to mince words until the right sentence is carefully formed. Following a script comes easier to me than living life off book.
And yet, I’m seeing more clearly how my favorite memories as of late are the ones that took me by surprise. Those small moments where I followed a loose thought, eager to chase the unknown thread pulling me toward wonder.
What if I started doing that a little bit more?
Pulled off on the side of the road to check out the cute restaurant that caught my eye before it was time to do so. Engaged in a lovely conversation with a nice mom at the playground just because our kids were playing together. Or ended the day, sitting on the couch, talking for however long we pleased with my husband just because we could.
Living life unscripted comes with good moments and bad. Sometimes words leak out of an overly stimulated brain, harming more than helping, and I find myself wishing I had taken greater care before going off course. Sometimes the mess is literal and relational. Spontaneity is not always tidy.
Other times, the detours in our day lead to core memories I’m actively living within, noticing in real time how grateful I am to have said yes when saying no felt more natural.
The yes costs something. It disrupts efficiency and risks inconvenience, but it also creates space for delight.
In the sake of cultivating more moments like these, what if, just for today, we made a quiet pact to color outside the lines in one small, tangible way? Not to abandon responsibility, but to loosen our grip on it, making space for whimsy in the process.
Maybe it’s finally baking that box of cookie mix in your pantry that you never got around to during the holidays, just because you can. Maybe it’s calling a friend you’ve been thinking about on a whim to see if they pick up. Maybe it’s pulling into the cute restaurant that caught your eye instead of driving past it again. Or maybe it’s throwing caution to the wind, loading up the family into the car for milkshakes on a weeknight simply because choosing joy is reason enough.
Whatever it looks like for you, I would love to hear about some of your favorite unscripted moments as of late! Let me know by leaving a comment or by replying to this email.
This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series “Unscripted.”
I loved how you phrased this: "Living according to a schedule keeps the necessities of life maintained rather than being overwhelmed by them sweeping up and through" So true. Finding the balance between that truth and the joy of spontaneity is hard!
I love love love where this prompt took you! 😍