This past Saturday afternoon we spent time moving through ordinary tasks. Folding laundry, paying bills, and general clean-up took most of the day. This routine is something I usually cherish. As my husband and I finished our tasks, we talked about fixing a late afternoon snack.

Our daughter overheard our conversation. Within a span of a few minutes, we heard the rustle of the bag sheltering the bread and the refrigerator opening. I asked my daughter what she was doing in the kitchen, but she said, “I am just checking on something.” As soon as she finished her sentence, the clang of metal hits the sink. My husband and I both start to wonder what she was really doing, but neither one of us made any movement toward her direction.

The next sound we hear are the thump-thump of her feet. She hasn’t quite mastered inside voice or soft feet yet so we always know she is about the make an entry or exit. In her hands, she had a paper plate and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  She said, “I know you were both hungry, so I made a sandwich.” Her gap-filled grin and the echo of pride in her voice choked me up. The unprompted simple gesture caused me to turn my head away from her and wipe away some tears. “Thank you honey. That was so sweet of you.” We both swallowed her with hugs and kisses, while emphasizing that she “cooked” for us for the first time.

So uncomplicated. So simple. And yet so fulfilling. It made me think about how as adults we tend to overcomplicate areas of our own life. What happened to taking the simple approach? What changes as we “grow up”? I am not certain there is a satisfying answer to these questions. But I know there is no mistaking how I filled up inside by something so unlikely. There are, I am certain, so many of these moments in all of our lives. My daughter’s gesture reminded me that I need to be aware of the vastness and grandeur of simplicity.

Image by {N} Duran