Now that Finley is 2 1/2, we can usually bet she will sleep from the time she goes down until morning. But last night she woke up before I had gone to bed so I did what I normally do — gave her some mama love and handed her her beloved blanky & nuk. Only a few minutes after tucking her back in, I heard her calling out for me again, more upset than before. This time, I took her out of her crib and talked to her as we rocked. Through her sobs, I finally heard she was upset because I closed the door.
You are probably wondering where I am going with this whole story given how ordinary it sounds for any parent. Well, after rocking her, she sweetly requested to lay in my bed. As we lay there in silence, I watched her melt into my embrace and gently feel her soft pink “zebra” blanky with her little fingers while vivid memories of the last couple years flooded my mind. And that blanky — it almost seemed foreign to me the more I stared at how she rubbed it against her hands, even though it’s been a constant in our lives since Finley was born. It’s like I’ve looked past it because it’s always been there, not even realizing how familiar it actually is. Time stood still momentarily, reminding me how fast life has moved since we brought her home from the hospital. You know how sometimes a quiet moment in life almost feels fake, and for second, you wonder if you’ve been dreaming up everything? Didn’t I just meet my husband? Wasn’t I just planning our wedding? And pregnancy seems like a vague dream. How do I suddenly have a 2 1/2 year old daughter and how am I 32!? It’s the most surreal feeling to realize you are living the life you once were on a mission to have. Not only has the time gone fast — I haven’t slowed down either. Have I been looking past everything that is right in front of me, so familiar, without really seeing it at all? We can all get so caught up with the motions of adult life, feeling like every minute is another minute to frantically get something done — laundry! dinner! dishes! bath time!
In the few minutes I sat there watching my sweet girl, I thought about how important it is to just slow down. Take it all in. Observe. Don’t take for granted the things that are so familiar that you hardly even notice them anymore. Because maybe it’s more than just that insignificant blanky that’s going unnoticed — maybe it’s your own loved ones; your kids, your spouse, your friends, or even yourself. Live in the moment and stop thinking about what else needs to get done. There will always be something, and guess what — it can wait. There is nothing more precious than the short years with our little ones [and plenty of time after they leave for college to do those dishes!]. So hold your babies a little longer tonight if they cry because you closed the door…
2 comments
So sweet! Now you’ve made me cry!
You are much wiser than 32!