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An Ordinary Moment

I was busy washing lettuce for my lunch today when a Glee song came on the stereo (yes, I’m a gleek). The song was fast-paced and perky. My hands were dripping water when Nicholas grabbed my arm:

“Dance with me, Mommy!”

Huh?

“Mommy! Dance with me!” Nicholas pulled on my arm with a big, cheeky smile on his face. He yanked me into the center of the kitchen, twirling like a top around my legs.

What was there to do? I dried my hands hastily on my shorts, grabbed onto Nicholas and spun him around the room. Soon, Benjamin joined in and the three of us jitter-bugged through the kitchen as the kids from Glee sang a Journey medley of songs. We bopped, we shook, we giggled, and we grinned until the song was done. Then, out of breath, I finished making lunch while the boys washed their hands.

Such an ordinary moment. So much so that I’m sure a thousand other parents have found themselves swinging away to their favorite songs with their  own pint-sized partners. At least I hope so.

Why share this? Well, because I am not very good at ordinary moments. In fact, I’m terrible at them. Being in the moment, or in my case not being in the moment, is one of my (many) short-comings as a parent. I am not good at just playing with my boys. At putting everything else aside and getting down on the floor, literally and figuratively. At being silly, and spontaneous, and doing what the boys want to do. I cringe at all the times I’ve heard myself say, “In a minute. I’ll be there right after I clean the bathroom, vacuum the floor, make supper, pay this bill, make a phone call, finish this blog…” And then the moment has passed, and I’ve missed it.

I started this blog over a year ago because I felt that the time with my boys was just going too quickly, and I wanted to have a record of it all. I wish I could say that time has slowed. It hasn’t. If anything, it has sped up. It blows my mind when I think that Benjamin will be six years-old in two short months. Six seems so grown-up. Yesterday, he was a baby.

Maybe it’s this looming reality that got me dancing, wet hands and all, in the kitchen this morning. Whatever the reason, today I danced.

I hope I remember to do the same tomorrow.

xo Naomi

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