In her travel memoir, Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman, author Alice Steinbach talks about the power of paying attention to ordinary life moments. She shares a simple treasured memory of her sons playing innocently out in the backyard on a summer evening. There was nothing special or different about this evening, there had been many like it before. But for some reason, as she heard the childish chatter outside, Steinbach was lucky enough to recognize the power and beauty of that ordinary, everyday experience. She calls those special bits of time, when our hearts are touched by the magic and specialness of the ordinary, “Holy Moments.”

It is easy, as parents, to get caught up in life’s busyness. Running from activity to activity, our daily life becomes so routine that we forget to pay attention to the little moments. And here’s the thing. By not paying attention to those moments we lose them.

The truth is, most of family life is ordinary. Taking the dog for a walk. Cleaning up after dinner. Snuggling in to read a book together before bed. Yes, these moments are ordinary, but they are special, too, because these are the moments that make up your life. These moments turn to hours, the hours turn to days, and pretty soon the days add up to a time when moments like these no longer happen.

So today, make an effort to notice and savor the ordinary moments in your daily life. The sound of your children laughing together. A tiny hand fitting snugly into yours. The smell of your toddler’s neck when you kiss him goodnight. In this way, today’s moments become tomorrow’s treasures.

Today's guest blogger is Ms. Julie Danneberg. She is a teacher and a children’s author. She started working on collecting her own Ordinary Treasures when her children were young. You can find out more about her books and follow her blogs on writing and teaching at www.juliedanneberg.com.