What We Have in Common

I have a mommy blog obsession. And not my own either. I read about six other "parent" blogs (not always the mommy) pretty religiously and they are relevant and lovely to me for many different reasons.

These make me laugh every time:
http://www.dadgonemad.com/
http://carabee.blogspot.com/
http://www.chroniclesofmomnia.blogspot.com/


These make me think:
http://www.thetravelingcircus.com/
http://www.sundrymourning.com/


These make me laugh and cry:
http://mikeadamick.com/
http://freeanissa.com/

(And this one just has some very pretty things I love:
http://blossomnbirds.blogspot.com/)

Through reading these blogs and pieces like these I've found a common thread. Whether you are a stay-at-home parent or a work outside (or inside) of the home parent we all struggle to live in the moment. It seems like we all want to and we all try to but life gets in the way. We're all either so busy with the minutiae of Clorox and chicken fingers (but not the two together, dear God) or just plain old distracted by deadlines and 529s that we can't be in the now. This is not to say these things are not important or paramount; they are. It is just a shame that so many of us find it really quite difficult to juggle reality with whimsy. While we are busy doing our job or jobs as the case may be, and let's admit that taking care of our children and their well being is in itself a full time job, we all seem to struggle with the guilt of not truly being present without preoccupation often enough for them.

I suppose it's been this way for generations and Cat Stevens sang it best with Cats in the Cradle. It seems to be the one cruel irony of having young children: they are mystical creatures of quirk and circumstance while we, their tired parents, are their spent and anemic counterparts. No, not always. There are those magical moments when we aren't living in the past or future tense. Not preparing, cleaning, or predicting. There are those times when we are listening to the soloist that is our child and not the chorus that is the long list of chores on "repeat" in our brain.













Sometimes it's one hot second when you find yourself able to use your mind's zoom option and be exactly on top of the moment. Case in point:

Abby awakened this morning at 5 for a diaper change and nursing session. She was snoozy and fuzzy. I worked silently and respectfully, trying so hard not to assault her senses with lights or noise. As my reward she snuggled deeply into my arms while we rocked. Quietly she peered up at me with her eyes barely open. I bent down to kiss her sweet little closed mouth and I watched her face melt into a gentle and most appreciative smile. This smile is one I'll never forget. She was there with me and I was there with her. She held me so strongly in those few seconds that an entire calamity could've been going on outside her door and I would have been none the wiser. Thank goodness the only thing going on outside her door was a snoring Grayson who now sleeps the entire night in the hallway with a sheet around his entire body (head included). It's scary but I digress.

Back to A's smile....I'm going to remember her engaging expression all day long. I'm also going to encourage myself to slow down and take both of my beautiful babes through a day not filled with hustle or bustle. It's not going to be easy. It's so tempting to push through the day with my dust buster and car keys while my brain is at least 10 minutes ahead of itself with what G will wear, what A will eat, when will I ever walk poor dear Sadie but it will be worth the effort. What we all have in common is the need to absorb and for today at least, I am their sponge.