I was all set to write about something (this time it was shampoo) when something better caught my attention. 

My God daughter, Maddy, is a pint-sized philosopher of sorts.  At 7, she says things that amaze many adults, including me. 

Recently Maddy's uncle built her a swing, so she said to her mother:

"Mom, you should blog about my swing because it would encourage everyone to make their own swing and that would be splendid."

 Her mother wrote in her blog about how the swing reminded her of summer camp and the quiet moments that most of us forget to enjoy. And like any good story, it made me think of my own memories.

When I was 5, I asked my mother what was the color of the swing sets in Heaven. She told me they could be any color I wanted, of course. I wanted them all to be red, so from then on I would swing and imagine a heavenly playground with red swing sets.

Today, red is still my favorite color and as I glided back and forth with my toddler, Ava, on a red swing tonight, I thought about Maddy's swing and Rachel's memory. I sniffed Ava's little head as I always do when she's sitting on my lap and thought about why I am so determined to make our house, and our world, as safe as can be. The answer certainly isn't a brainstorm, but I realized that I need to slow down a little, stop checking the web for the latest environmentally friendly product and just enjoy the little things that are here now.

So thanks, Maddy. I already have a swing, but you're right - your idea is splendid!