Our family had the most spectacular New York City weekend. We were in the parks all day; sopping up the glorious weather and loving the Earth! (It was a most appropriate Earth Day Day celebration)

When my oldest,Fischer was born, all my family and friends assumed we’d immediately move home to settle down in Texas. After all, raising kids and New York City do not naturally fit together. To most, New York is the definition of a Concrete Jungle.

New York City and kids has proven to be a fantastic fit! The City has some of the most beautiful, innovative parks (and playgrounds) I’ve ever visited.

This weekend, we were hiking up the rocks in a new part of Central Park, the children’s glade. A park designed by Peter Jay Sharp to be a ‘natural playground’…absent are the traditional swings, jungle gyms, etc. Instead, they replaced play equipment with rock formations, trees and bark pathways. Our kids spent a day in the glades:

• dancing barefoot to the music of Laurie Berkner
• discovering giant turtles at the base of a delightful waterfall
• watching ducks dip and duck in a pond
• picnicking under weeping willows with friends.

I was reminded of a great quote from an Irish philosopher who said that the meaning of life was not about being happy, but was more about discovering fulfillment and contentment. I couldn’t agree more. So, as I watched my kids run about freely, making friends with everyone around them, I felt my heart surge—I found myself both fulfilled and content.