Perfect Moments: The Men in My Life

Today's moment...



Me, walking down the hallway from our room to the living room. All the lights off in the house. As I walk down, I hear my son singing a dreamy ballad-type song that he made himself, in a high-pitched, falsetto voice. I'm not sure what all the lyrics are, but I do hear him repeat the words "the magic in your heart" a few times. I follow his little voice until I reach the living room. There he is, looking out the window, up at the fireworks in the night sky. His daddy, standing next to him, also looking out the window. As I draw near, my husband and I share a look that says, "that's our son singing that beautiful little song in such a beautiful little voice." His dad, amused and proud. Me, on the verge of tears. Why? You mean, besides the fact that I am a woman?

Well, it is just one of those nights, one of those brief moments when you feel the fullness of the love you have for your child....it swells up in you...and you wish, "man, if only we could slow life down and keep him here, just as he is in this very moment." But, then, you realize that is impossible...and maybe a bit selfish. So, you try to take the moment in, take in every last bit, before it passes and becomes a memory that will come to visit you on those "firsts"---first days of kindergarten, first time he broke a bone, first time he walked home on his own, first time he drove the car, first day at college, first day he fell in love, first day he became a father...so many firsts---- when he takes those BIG steps away from being the kid singing in the window and closer to the man he will become. I love my son and I am just so thankful that I have lived long enough and was fortunate enough to have met him and hope I am fortunate enough to meet him in the future, once more, not as a child but as a man.

Perfect Moments: A Change of Plans

Well, today is Mother's Day and as is customary for many, my husband, son, and I set out looking for a nice, Mother's Day meal. We woke up and decided to go to a particular brunch, but when we got there, we were told that the next available opening wasn't for another few hours!!! Then, we tried three other places and ran into the same problem. Apparently there are a lot of people who actually plan in advance and do reservations (what kind of people do that!!:) ). Well, we thought about giving up, but we happened to stumble upon a big line of people and followed the line to see what it lead to. To our surprise, it was a special, only on Mother's Day, event at the Disneyland Hotel. It was more than a buffet, there was a live band, bottomless champagne, and photo ops with Disney characters. It turned out to be such a decadent way to spend a Mother's Day. The important point here, for me, is sometimes you don't get what you plan for, sometimes you get more. And, sometimes you get less. But, in either case, we have EVERYTHING we need-- we are alive, we have food, we have clean water, freedom of speech, the ability to think and feel "love" or connection, and the list goes on and on and on if we pause long enough to read it.

A Child's Sense

he sees strawberry chocolate skies
and sleeping dinosaur mountains
he sees each color hidden in white light
and little, bitty, baby bugs crawling in the grass

he hears the whispers of the wind, asking him to run beside it
and big, hairy, scary monsters stomping on the ceiling at night
he hears the melody in the clanging of the chain hitting against an iron fence
and his own lyrics in each song that plays on the radio

he feels the shape of each teenie, tiny grain of sand in the sandbox
and the beat of a bass drum pounding in his chest
he feels the soft, silky smooth of cold milk gently coating the back of his throat
and the fine thread of every fiber of his favorite blanket when he sleeps

he smells the yummy of the oatmeal cookies in the oven before they are even made
and the distinct scent of each flourishing flower he passes on his way to the park
he smells the smoke of the pretend fire he's made while camping in his room
and the wet of the rain tap, tap, tapping on his window

he tastes the green in the spinach he wishes mommy didn't make him eat
and the blind-to-the-naked tongue, tantalizing taste of water
he sees, hears, feels, smells, tastes the tastes of life with every breath he breathes
oh, to be a child again and taste, smell, feel, hear, see the things he sees