Chasing the Moon

Mom: Most of the time, it seems like our whole life is lived in this space called “rushing”. Rushing from one activity to the next, from the grocery store to the dinner table…on and on. It can really wear on your spirit and cause you to forget that life still happens in the moments between. We call them the minivan moments around here. So much of our life happens in the minivan that we have to be intentional about living them just as big as the moments that happen when the doors open (automatically…thanks to the minivan!).

Maeve: So true…from school to home, back to school, dropping friends off, back home, to Grama’s house, then piano, soccer, Walmart, and finally home. Can you relate? It can be tough, but you have to make the most of it. So we play I Spy and sing songs from Veggie Tales to Frozen. And every once in awhile, we like to take off on an adventure.

Mom: One busy night in the middle of a busy week, as we were driving home for the evening, we noticed the moon. There was no way NOT to notice it, really. It was giant and orange and glowing…it was all magic and possibility. And so, on that busy night in the middle of that busy week, we took a deep collective breath and allowed ourselves a moment of magic, and we took off on an adventure to chase that moon down.

Maeve: I have to admit, that was a great idea. Seeing the beautiful moon right there before us, trust me, you’d want to do the same. Everyone in the car (including me) looked up from their screens and books, and started frantically searching for where the moon would lead us. We should’ve known what was yet to come…

Mom: It was quite the exciting chase. That moon was trickier than you might imagine. We were winding around back roads, deep in the dark, eyes fixed on the sky, when…

Maeve: BAM!!! “AAAHHHH!!! Did we hit the moon!?!” All eyes looked up and down the narrow road. Mom screeched the brakes. “What was that!?” I peered out the window and saw a tall green object laying on the side of the road…

Mom: For a moment, I froze. What had just happened? That bang was LOUD. My worrying took over and I wondered…had I hit a deer? A dog? A human being??? I stopped the car and jumped out to investigate. I immediately realized that I should have had my eyes on the road…I’d hit a garbage can pulled out to the road for trash pick up! And there was a nice big dent in the side of the van to prove it.

Maeve: And here’s the funny part. My mom thought she needed to apologize for hitting the trash can. There was a man getting into his car in the driveway, so my mom walked up to tell him she was sorry because of course she thought he lived there.  But the man gave her a curious look and replied, “Um…I don’t live here.” Mom, embarrassed, said, “Oops. So sorry,” and hurried back to the van.

Mom: Yeah, that was an awkward moment for sure! But once we drove away, we all burst into giggles. I mean, who goes chasing the moon and runs smack into a trash can? Try explaining that one to the insurance company. Or your ever-so-logical husband. We got home and examined the side of the van and the kids begged, “Please don’t get it fixed! It will help us always remember this night.” And so…we didn’t. And it remains our favorite ever minivan moment.

Maeve: We hope you can take this story as a way to live life. Seek adventure and treasure whatever life throws at you…whether it’s an F on a test or a trash can on the side of the road.

Mom: And know that the best adventures can happen on a busy night in the middle of a busy week when you are tired and hungry and whiny and ready to just be home.

We hope you find your own moon to chase this week.