Have you ever had a moment where you suddenly stop and realize you’re in a state of complete contentment? For me, it didn’t happen at some exotic locale, in fact, maybe it’s more meaningful because it happened in my daily life.

I had my most recent moment of bliss on a soccer field–our son wasn’t playing because he got hurt in the previous day’s game, the sky was cloudy and dreary as fall settled in, and our team was losing.

But late in the second half, as I watched one of our players continue to put everything he had in the game, I had a moment of clarity. I realized that there was no other place I would’ve rather been than right there. Surrounded by the parents who have become friends as we’ve watched our boys play together every week for years.

But it was also bittersweet. The season is winding down. Our boys are getting older. They’ll be graduating and moving on. The crazy schedules we’ve kept for so long will soon be less hectic or at least different. And I try to burn these moments into my memory.