All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. —Pablo Picasso

I’ve heard that life is what happens when we’re making other plans. If that’s true, how do we capture the moments and remember them? Sometimes it means taking the road less traveled or paying attention to the tiny details along the way.

When my young son chose to sit on the opposite side of the back seat on a drive into town, he said, “it looked like a different world.” It was our road — he’d just never noticed it from that perspective before. A friend once polished the light globes in her living room after a cleaning hiatus and could hardly believe how they sparkled. She told me she had forgotten that they weren’t frosted glass! Pay attention to the details. Have you ever tried to find a substitute for a twist tie when you really needed one? Small things can be important.

While I am the “official” writer in the family, the literary “gifts” of the entire family were recently on display in the “Refrigerator Collection.” I had purchased a North Woods Words refrigerator magnet set, thinking that I would get a little use out of it and have some fun. After a recent holiday, I was surprised to see the random poetry that my family had assembled throughout the weekend. I am still reluctant to take it down, because the discovery gave me such joy.

It’s all in the details that pop up like signposts along the road of life. Remember that even the little things–clean glass, back seats, twist ties, and frig magnets–can make a difference. Write it or forget it.