treasures from a special place

A few days ago, as we rushed home from somewhere, Josephine asked me if she could pick something up that was hiding in the leaves in the gutter next to the pavement. When I asked her what she'd found, she held out a single, pristine bright pink petal and said:

"Look Mama, at this beautiful treasure. I think Grandpa dropped this for me from his special place, for me to find. And whenever we look at it we can think about him and it will make us smile and be happy."

The beautiful petal is now sitting in Josephine's flower press, ready to be tucked away in one of our scrap books alongside Josephine's story. I've never told her any stories like that before regarding my Dad, which only makes it more magical and more beautiful; that she thought of it by herself, in that fleeting moment.

That my Dad is always in her thoughts, always with her, is such a comfort to me. That he lives on within us all, even if he's not here himself. That he's never forgotten and remains a huge part of our lives and will do forever.

As happy tears filled my eyes, I cuddled my darling girl for giving that ordinary day a little bit of magic, for being so kind-hearted and seeing the wonder in the smallest thing; the beauty of that pink petal, buried in a pile of brown crunchy leaves. For talking about my Dad, and remembering him in her own such special ways.