I had a positive moment hat trick this week. “M”, my granddaughter, came to visit. She had just got home the day before from 3 weeks at camp. She was a buzz with telling us about all the activities. Situated on the couch between my husband and me, with the iPad on her lap, she proceeded to give us a tour of the camp, borrowing the slide show available on the camp website. She described the buildings, where the bonfire was situated, and the part of the lake she swam in, and on and on. It was just delightful. Score that positive moment number one.
After the slide show I asked if she received the letters that I wrote to her. “M” explained that she got this letter and she could not figure out who sent it. Why was someone writing to her about ringtones and clouds; she couldn’t identify the return address, so she asked her sister who was also at camp. “D” told her, in her most beloved older-sisterly way, “It’s grandma, you idiot.” It was just hilarious, both the story and “M”’s rendition. I must say my immediate reaction was a feeling of invisibility, but this lasted a nanosecond, the tiniest measure of time. This feeling was overtaken by the thought that she would remember this story for a long time, maybe even share with children of her own one day, and because she would recall the time she went to camp and got this crazy letter from her grandmother that I too will be remembered. Score that positive moment number two.
As we were laughing at this, my husband says, “Here’s your positive moment.” I knew it at the time, and it was extra special that my husband saw the same thing. It seems that my practice of identifying these positive moments has impact not only for me but for those around me. Score that positive moment number three, hat trick.
I am not sure what strength I utilized other than giving my granddaughter the floor and listening to her intently. The enjoyment and laughter was felt by all three of us.