While large are the stacks of artwork and handmade crafts, small are the opportunities to receive them. Our days of gifts adorned with little boys’ hand prints are numbered as we inch closer toward a house of school-aged children. Yes, I know. There’s still another whole year to go … but there’s only a year to go. For a mama who has spent a decade in preschool land, one year seems unfathomable. Only one more year of holiday parties and adorable treasures? It will pass in a blink. One small year in the much larger scheme of this ultra-marathon known as parenthood.

The Valentine’s party at Eli’s school was delayed until this week due to last week’s Snowmageddon and the ongoing school cancellations. While it felt like one more thing to check off the to-do list (because who wants to assemble Valentine’s after February 14th?) I’m so glad now that the celebration wasn’t cancelled completely. His hand prints and the poem are seemingly small tokens of his affection, but overwhelming is our appreciation for a gift that will last long after he’s done with preschool.

Small. It’s this week’s writing prompt for Five Minute Friday. A phenomenal community of writers and bloggers gather and write for five minutes. Unedited, unfiltered … just wide open thoughts from our hearts spilled across the virtual pages. The only rule? Link up and share then offer encouragement to the writer who linked up before you. Join us, won’t you? Here’s today’s link.