[April 25 2018]
At bedtime, after reading a story and singing a song, we have our traditional 5 minutes of talking before turning out the light and saying goodnight. This was last night’s, dimly-lit conversation…
MICK - “Mommy before we say goodnight can I have a biiiig, loooong hug?”
ME - “Yes! Of course you can my sweet, I love hugging you!”
MICK “Me too!”
He snuggled in for what felt like the entire 5 minutes and then sleepily pulled away and said...
MICK - “Mommy, why do Mommy hugs and Daddy hugs feel so different?”
ME - “They feel different? Well maybe because Mommy is half the size of Daddy, he’s a lot bigger than I am so his hugs might feel bigger and stronger somehow…”
MICK - “No, that’s not it.”
ME - “I’m not sure honey. Can you use some other words to explain what you mean?”
MICK - “Well, they just ‘feeeel’ different… like… like when Daddy hugs me, it’s lovely. His hugs feel all nice and lovely… but Mommy hugs feel… it’s like I feel… all warm inside. Like… warm and so so comfy. I’m not sure how else to explain it. Like I feel like… I’m part of you and it’s really comf-terble…”
ME - “Oh honey, that is how it feels for me too. I know exactly what you mean.”
I am in awe of this child. His capacity for love and for understanding his own nature, and explaining how he sees and feels the world around him, astounds me. I told him at dinner last night that even though I am the Mommy, and that I teach him all sorts of new things, he also does the same for me. And that I learn from him each and every day. He sat there and seemed to ponder that deeply for a moment before letting out a “hmmmph. I teach you? huh.”
In a world where chaos seems to lurk around every corner, I’m so glad that I have this little fellah in my corner.