The Best Day Ever

I'm an outside gal. I love being outside, always have since I was a little girl. I remember sometimes admiring my surroundings and feeling these tears fill my eyes. I never knew why it just happened. Later in life I recall explaining it to my mom. It was as if I was noticing all this beauty and creation around me and almost felt unworthy to be in it's presence. It just enveloped me how beautiful the world could be. It doesn't take much to make this woman *me* cry, but not for sad things. I still get that I'm so happy feeling of tears or will be watching my now teenagers and something will be said between them or one of them will do something for the other and this sense or pride just overcomes me and sometimes so do the tears.
My middle son, who was diagnosed "autistic" when he was 4, gets that same feeling. Pretty awesome when you think about it. We worked vehemently on picture books to recognize what facial expressions meant. Some things parents take for granted, it's expected to see my grinning from ear to ear and know it's different than when I was aggravated with him. Those days are long gone.
This isn't the first day he has proclaimed the statement - the first time I heard it was 4 years ago. BUT I can say I couldn't remember the last time I heard it. The family started in search of a bike for his younger brother. Off to Academy we went, well it was the third store we stopped at, and my son found a toy grenade.... YES I know probably not what every parent wants their kid to play with, but it's a toy for crying out loud. His logic for wanting it made it sound like a great "game" for the family. When the "trigger" was squeezed it ticked down and then made a sound like it was exploding. Do you know what he thought of it's use should be?....HOT POTATO!!! I loved it. (We played when we got home and had a blast). Next stop was a Walmart, where he was lucky to find a game he had on his "game wish list" on sale for $20. Dad surely couldn't say no to that. There were other games on his list that he could have asked for, but he knows how tight we have to be with our money for now so it killed him for me to even bring it up to Dad. He didn't ask for the game, but I caught him looking in the window and knew he wouldn't ask. He was almost in tears as he and his father walked up to the ticket counter. "Mom", he says sniffling, "I'm so happy". The only reason he asked for the grenade - it was $1.99. Oh how I love my kids. Usually when Dad is off, he is a fireman, once every 2 weeks we try go out to dinner as a family. Dad and I had decided tonight was the night to go to our favorite mexican restaurant. We were seated and he looks at me from across the booth and says mom "This is the best day ever". I laugh and say I hope love bug, when you are older you remember all these "best days" and have some for your own children.