Friday, February 17, 2012

Five Minute Friday: Delight


I started reading articles about what to expect in the year of three. It listed off disciplines, changes, questions and before I knew it I was teary-eyed again.

So I called for her.

"Madeleine, come here!"

She came running, her eyes wide. "What mom?!" she asked, breathless. "What is it?"

"I love you!"

She giggled and jumped into my arms.

"You love me?" she asked.

"To the moon and back."

"WHOA." 

"As deep as the ocean."

She gasped for breath.

"As long as the rivers. As tall as the mountains. All the way up to the stars, around them and back again."

She gasped again and again and again, and leaned her head into me.

I want her to be smart. To know how to spell her name, identify colors, fold her clothes, put away her mess. I spend a lot of time letting her choose and learn, try things out, make mistakes, kick myself for not thinking things through. Sometimes I send her to her bed because I simply cannot handle the whining and the tantrums that almost break my lamps and pull down my lace tablecloths. When I send her to timeout and she shouts, "Princesses don't go to timeout!" and I says, "Yes, they do."

I often wonder if parenting is going to drain every last ounce of fortitude in my human spirit.

It might.

But to have her run into my arms a few minutes ago to ask again, "Do you love me?"

And she waits, arms lifted, to hear me say, "Around the world and back again." She gasps, giggles and runs to find another princess dress.

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4 comments:

  1. oh, I just love. love. this! these moments, just make you gasp, no?

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  2. so glad we have these delightful moments. since they can suck the life right out of us at times!

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    1. that's half of why i write them down... so i won't forget later :)

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