What makes them perfect is not that they are without some struggles or downsides, but that you couldn't dream up the wonderful moments and memories that come with them. What makes them perfect is also the effect or result of the day. We become closer and happier. We grow together and individually. We love and appreciate more about each other and life. This doesn't happen often, but it tends to happen when our family shares meaningful and constructive activities together. With extended family in town, we went to Assateague Island, which is a long stretch of beach on the Atlantic shore of Maryland where wild horses live. Not only did the horses come out to the beach to say "hello," but I watched as my wife enjoyed talking with her family and as my girls played in the sand together. I watched as my son ran through the shallow water with his cousin, karate kicking little waves, building things in the sand, and doing other imaginative things. I watched the kids fly a kite with their uncle. I watched my older daughter feed seagulls with her aunt. I watched as we set out to collect shells with the grandparents and others on a walk along the beach. My son and I built the wall of a little inlet swimming pool. Sometimes I would chase him and dip him in the bigger waves. My girls and I played in the sand with buckets and shovels. We saved a horseshoe crab and collected the shells of dead ones. We watched baby crabs dig back into the sand after waves subsided. I body surfed with my brother- and father-in-law. I walked along the beach to put my baby girl to sleep. The kids were smiling from ear to ear virtually the entire day. Playing together on that beautiful beach made me feel closer to my wife and kids. Even the ride home was pretty fun, though the baby was very tired and fussy. We sang silly camp songs. Then we went to McDonald's (there was a little break-down over the Happy Meal toy). Then I sang them to sleep on the road and spent the rest of the drive talking with my wife about different things while she fed me to keep me awake (it doesn't get much better than that). Finally, we carried our sweet, sleeping children up to their beds and tucked them in. What I love about these days is that we experience the same beautiful moments together, and we become better friends by laughing and playing together, chasing each other or talking or snuggling or just watching and appreciating how grown up they are becoming. I also love that these meaningful moments bring me back into perspective and tie us together with fond memories. Even though my wife did step on a piece of metal, and crabs pinched our toes as we body surfed, and the baby had a hard time falling asleep, I would still consider this one of those "perfect" days.
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