Tuesday, February 23, 2010

My life. My gifts.

Last night I crawled into my bed early. Alone. With books, mp3 player, a journal, a yellow legal pad and pens. Ready for some me time.

I looked over and saw "Everyone Poops" by Taro Gomi on the nightstand. As my feet found their spot under the covers they felt broken pieces of stale crackers. Strangely, they were as comforting as my soft flannel sheets.

This is my life.

Paige hasn't eaten a full meal in her high chair in months. She goes from plate to plate, making her rounds at every ones seat. She nibbles and shares. But she eats, so we indulge her {though her dining companions might not thank us for that when she's 30 and eating off of all her dinner guests plates... but we'll foot the bill for therapy if it comes to that...}

This is my life.

Laps overtaken, shoulders and arms clung to, climbed on. In libraries, at grocery stores, at home.

We've lost sight of boundary lines, if there were any. We've embraced smudging lines on what is ours and what is theirs. We reach over children to give our love looks. Our love thrives, becomes more with these crossed boundaries and personal bubbles that are now bulging and prodded at because mine is also his, and one of their arms or legs is always trying to find it's way in. Most often it's not met with reluctance.

They sleep with us when they need to.
They cuddle and snuggle while dinner waits on the stove.
They hold onto books and my arms through naps.
Their tears are met with warmth, their joys with smiles and hugs.
They are loved without boundaries.

This is my life.
My love.
These are my gifts.

I cherish every broken cracker found in their absence. Every tomato fed to me off of my own dinner plate by a generous 18 month old. Every late night "I love you Mommy" delivered by my son.

This is my life. These are my gifts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please visit Emily at Chatting at the Sky for more Tuesday’s Unwrapped. You’ll find simple moments and simple mysteries unwrapped in everyday life. Enjoy!


Posted by Corinne at 8:38 AM

18 comments:

  1. I love this. It's nice when this kind of love can happen. I wish I was as graceful in accepting some of "these things" in my life, but sometimes I like my own personal space... especially when a hard plastic dino is swinging at my head. ;)
    ReplyDelete
  2. What a beautiful post. I needed this today - sometimes I lose sight of the fact that they won't be young forever, and the overtaken laps and entangled limbs start to wear me down. Soon enough they'll be pre-teens and the mere sight of me will induce eye-rolling and avoidance. Thanks for helping me to remember to soak it up while I can.

    -Ellie
    ReplyDelete
  3. They grow up so fast. It's great that you are enjoying the 'now'. Every moment with a child is a gift. Thanks for the reminder.
    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful! I remember these days fondly.
    ReplyDelete
  5. It's something Jen and I say to ourselves and to each other daily: "This...is my life."

    About all its struggles and its bounty.
    ReplyDelete
  6. crackers definitely seem to stick to flannel more so than regular sheets. ;-)
    ReplyDelete
  7. This is so sweet :)
    So funny about Paige.. we haven't bothered with table manners yet either ;)
    ReplyDelete
  8. "This is my life. These are my gifts." Corinne, you do such a wonderful job of recognizing and savoring the gifts (the ones that won't last forever, that must be treasured, savored and enjoyed before they fade...). When your two are a little older (and a bit less exhausting), you will look back and be SO glad you treasured this time.
    ReplyDelete
  9. I am speechless, Corinne. So beautiful is your tribute to your children. How lucky and blessed they are to have you.
    ReplyDelete
  10. I love this post! You have a great attitude. I also like your reading choices. Everybody poops is classic and full of wisdom and truth
    ReplyDelete
  11. Gorgeous tribute to your kids and to the universal standard shifting we all share when we decide to become parents. Lovely.
    ReplyDelete
  12. I found half a fire-truck sticker on the floor this morning in the mad dash to get to preschool and had to take a minute to smile about the precious little things, too. Enjoy your cracker crumbs. =>
    ReplyDelete
  13. i might never roll my eyes at stale cracker crumbs again... even if they are under my feet. your life? it sounds messy and beautiful all at once. one eases right into the other. and i am smiling that you are finding the moments treasureable. because when my kids were those ages, i was just plain overwhelmed. and i can never get those days back. love to you...
    ReplyDelete
  14. Congratulations on the move, on the family time, the gushing.

    I read all the posts I missed while away, and feel blessed to have this place to come to.
    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Corinne,
    Sigh. You're such a lovely writer and have such a talent for expressing not only how you feel about your children, but how I feel too. Great post!
    ReplyDelete
  16. My daughter eats the same way. Like you said, as long as she eats I'm happy!

    I think your life is beautiful. It is ordinary and extraordinary. It is simple and complex.

    Thank you for sharing this little snippet with all of us.
    ReplyDelete
  17. I love this! You have the best attitude! I need to loosen up and enjoy these little cretins more. I know this intellectually, but in the moment, it can be really hard. That's why I love reading your blog-- you really help me focus on the important stuff. Also, I hear yo on the meals. We refuse to make mealtime a battle of any kind, so things are a bit unorthodox here as well :)
    ReplyDelete
  18. I love that your love thrives across boundary lines. We, too, are doing plenty of blurring, mingling, shrugging, indulging, cuddling. Your insight on giving into the gifts and sharing these moments is lovely and encouraging and real.
    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

ShareThis