Snapshots of Joy
This weekend we took Dot to the Rodeo. It was planned, in that we bought our tickets in advance (thank God, because the ticket line was horrendous!). But it was also spontaneous—on Tuesday I randomly texted my husband, “We should go to the Rodeo this weekend!”
We live close enough to the fairgrounds to walk, so Friday evening we loaded the diaper bag, slipped Dot into the Ergo, and set off. The sweet smell of kettle corn and fryers floated on the warm summer breeze, and the joyful screams from the rides carried through the air. By the time we arrived, the ticket line was beginning to wrap down the path, but thankfully my husband’s foresight in buying tickets online saved us—we walked straight in.
There is nothing quite like the fair on a hot summer evening. It just feels right…especially if you aren’t the one behind the grill. After years of working food booths at my local county fair growing up, I’ve acquired two surprisingly useful skills:
- Knowing where to find the hand-dipped corn dogs.
- Spotting who makes the good lemonade.
So, after securing a giant hand dipped corn dog and a brick of fresh-cut curly fries, we made our way to the arena where the rodeo was going to be held. Dot was curled against me in her carrier, lightly snoring, while I attempted the impossible task of walking while eating my corn dog, all without dripping mustard on her head. (Her poor sunhat did not survive.)
We worried about her hearing aids—whether we should take them out or switch them off. In the end, we decided to leave them in and follow her lead. She snoozed through the opening ceremonies, but when the first bronc rider was announced, she stirred. I lifted her out of the carrier and turned her toward the arena.
The gates flew open. The horse burst into the dirt, the rider clinging on. And Dot’s whole face lit up. I snapped a photo right as joy spread across her features.
I turned to Loren and whispered, “We could leave now. This night is already perfect.”
We didn’t leave, though. We stayed until 10 p.m., and Dot was wide awake, captivated the entire time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so visually engaged, so locked in, so full of delight.
That moment—that look—that memory. That’s this week’s Snapshot of Joy.
Want to see more of our weekly wins? Check out the rest of the Snapshots of Joy Series!
