The hubs had to work late and I was exhausted.  My little one just got out of karate and the prospect of cooking just seemed too daunting.  It was a rare Texas evening that was not a scorcher and I decided we would have a girls’ night out, trying this new restaurant that is gluten free.  Oh my baby doll felt SO grown up as she ordered her own peanut butter, jelly and Nutella sandwich with fruit!  And she didn’t feel “different” because the whole place was basically gluten free.  I got a fabulous elote (corn) in a bowl loaded with who all knows what; typically it’s salt, chili powder, butter, cheese, lemon juice, and sour cream.  They had great hot sauce which I liberally added.  Even better, I paired it with a glass of red wine.  And so we went outside to sit on the patio.  It was a quiet evening; heaven really.  I looked up and this picture was my view.  It was a beautiful night:  unexpected, rare, and magical.  We weren’t rushed and everyone was so nice.  The American self-help author Dr. Wayne Dyer once said:

“To be more childlike, you don’t have to give up being an adult.  The fully integrated person is capable of being both an adult and a child simultaneously.  Recapture the childlike feelings of wide-eyed excitement, spontaneous appreciation, cutting loose, and being full of awe and wonder at this magnificent universe.”

That is exactly how I felt hanging out with my four year old and feeling cool.  It is a night I will always remember.  Now I must strive to be less rigid and seek more opportunities for a girls’ night out under the sky.