| What's Really Important |
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As I sat down at the computer last night, thrilled to finally have a minute to myself after a long day of mommying and having just nursed my two-year-old daughter Hannah to sleep, my husband came in the room with Hannah in his arms. Her eyes were teary. He said “Hannah’s up again and wants to say goodnight to you”. I got up and walked over to her. As I hugged her and pet her back and kissed her, she said, “Mama, will you come lay with me?” “Of course” I said. So dad went to sleep and I lay with my little girl. I caressed her back and told her stories. She wasn’t going to sleep. Then I told her more stories and sang her songs. Big yawn, starting to drift off. In her half-awake daze she took my arm and wrapped it around her body. I smiled. I sang softly to her wanting her to fall asleep so I could return to my computer. Just then she flung her arm around my neck and pulled me in close so we could both breathe together (something we’ve done since she was born, it always seemed to relax her, and me too). At that moment I was hit with the realization that this time I have with her is short. I wondered where was I running off to? What did the computer hold in store for me that could even begin to compare to the gentle loving bliss I was feeling with my daughter? All too soon this chapter will fade and she will want to fill her time with her friends. So, in that moment, my desire to get back to whatever it was I was doing in the past, or antsy to do in the future, gave way to a profound Happiness at being just where I was, treasuring that precious moment. I watched my little girl drift off to sleep and a deep sense of peace and gratitude came over me. How blessed I am to know the love of this human being. How grateful I feel to be able to let that love in. When our lives feel stretched to the limits with meaningless to-do lists masquerading as important, we must stop…stop and remember what’s really important. It’s not our jobs or our homes, our egos or our cars, it’s not what religion we practice or who we know, it’s do we love and are we loved? Without that, none of the rest of it matters. Last night made me realize something important, life is precious and it’s temporary. We must never take the present moment for granted. Everyday that we’re here and that we have loving friends and family is a gift that we are blessed to have. That is worth celebrating, everyday.
Susan Kaufer Carey |
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