Capturing this Moment

I was reminded this week by a friend that all that matters in this life is our health and those we love. As a Mom who deals with the chronic and life-threatening illness of her child, she knows whereof she speaks. I decided to take her perspective to heart and really, truly experience the moments of my life.

My day with Mya started with a little door slam, the swishing of her purple beads and a tentative "Mommy?" and then a more worried "Mommy?". Her little hand-over-foot rhythm up the stairs announced her imminent arrival. I beat her to the door and saw her stop to check on Russell in his kennel. "Good night Russell," she whispered. "I was just saying 'Good night to Russell, Mama", she explained to me. She raised her hands to be picked up and cuddled.

We fell back into the chair with her arms around my neck and my nose seeking that warm spot under her chin. I gave her a little kiss there and she giggled. "Rub my back," she demanded. Not interested in pointing out the benefits of asking kindly, I gave her back a rub and then she declared scratches were next. Scratches she got.

It was chilly so the cuddlefest moved to the warm bed accompanied by more scratches. "I don't want to go to school," she fretted. But what about her feast, her trip with the boys? What about a stop at the cupcake store after school today as a special Mommy/Mya treat?

"Let's make supper," she suggested. I don't know why, but more often than not, she mixes supper up with breakfast. I suspect it's because the word breakfast gave her such grief for such a long time.

Up we got and she let Russell out of his kennel - lift and slide the handle. Worried about Russell jumping on Dad, she promptly and loudly slammed the door to our room, sure to wake Lucas.

The morning continued with busyness, biscuits, nutella, pink clothes, curls instead of straight hair "so everyone will like my curls".

Things shifted for her and I as other people and animals entered the picture. Those precious little solitary moments when everyone else was still asleep were the ones I wanted to capture here. Those are the ones that matter most.