This morning, when she first woke, I got to spend some time with my daughter. 

It was just the two of us, no interruptions, nowhere else to be and nothing else to do.  I wasn't long in terms of time, perhaps we spend as much time everyday, getting ready for school, having breakfast and walking her to the bus stop.  Lately though, it feels like something has been missing and our connection has been weak.  In the absence of a schedule and an agenda, we got to talk about stuff.  What she likes, what she wants for Christmas, what her friends have, say and do.  I got to see her happiness in preparing for Christmas and the joy she got from imagining her day.  We sat outside in the cold on the front porch for a few minutes.  Somehow the cold of the snowy morning transformed the few minutes into an eternity within the moment.  I sat on the cold sandstone step and she sat on my lap.  Her barefeet in the morning chill and our breath visible in the crisp air.  I suggested a game and she accepted my challenge to see if we could sit out there until the 5th car passed on our street. We snuggled and fidgeted as we anticipated, celebrated and counted the cars.  After we had reached 5 we paused, looked at each other and then hurried back inside.  Sometimes the most ordinary moments can be profound if you let them.