This is the Good Stuff.

On Monday afternoon, everyone in our family seemed a little down. Maybe just bored on our first full day of spring break, or feeling isolated after too much time alone. Whatever the cause, I found myself inviting Sienna to come help me make dinner, and Mateo soon joined us in the kitchen. I prepared the chicken dish and showed Sienna some of the steps. Soon, she and Teo were chatting and giggling. We all sat down to dinner at the dining table (a less routine event in the busyness of school and sports during the week); you could see everyone’s spirit lifting as we connected with one another.

During my New Year’s intention setting, I noted that I wanted to use our fire pit more in 2026. I could count on one hand the number of times we’d actually ignited the fire during the first few months of the year. At the end of dinner, I suggested we put a fire on and go outside. Sienna and Teo, in their bonded state, looked at each other and said, “Yes, let’s do it!”

As I changed into warmer clothes, I felt a bit of resistance to the fire pit plan. Dennis and I had developed a routine over the past few years of winding down with either a Hallmark movie, House Hunters International, or a sporting event. Sitting outside, around the fire pit, felt like a less certain way to unwind. Thankfully, I dismissed this habitual urge and joined my kids around the already roaring fire.

What followed was perhaps the most precious, memorable, and engaging evening I’ve spent in a long, long time!

Sienna and Teo started talking about their “core” childhood memories, reciting a list of some of their favorite moments over the years. They started with the summer routine of watching The Sound of Music at Gaga’s house. They recounted moments of sleepovers with their cousins and reminisced about their annual trips to Humboldt County to visit family. Next, they noted our many trips to Disneyland, and particularly the fun of getting up early or being surprised with an unexpected Disneyland trip when they were little. More memories flowed out of them, like Christmas mornings; then Mateo reflected on all the imaginative games Sienna would invent for them to play when they were younger.

I remarked that their imaginative play was such a joy during the Covid lockdown months. This led us to look at photos and videos on my phone from the spring of 2020. Apparently, they’d often borrow my phone during those months and took many slow-motion videos of themselves. Typically, the “scene” was a stuffed-animal pillow fight, with them throwing stuffed animals at one another on Teo’s bed. Hilarity ensued as we watched these videos! They were so little six years ago!

From backyard campouts to tea parties, archery in the backyard, Dad spraying them with the hose on a hot evening, to home pedicures for Mom, this season was one of deep connection. As we reflected on that particular season of life, I sat in rapt attention as our teenagers commented on the joyfulness of their childhood. They expressed enthusiasm for the kinds of moments you hope are shaping your children in edifying ways, as they occur, but you don’t often get to hear their reflections.

Everything about this evening felt special, as if God were telling me, “Here. See this now. This is the good stuff.”