A Perfect Moment

"Can you cuddle with me?" he asks. It's 8:35 p.m. It's more than a half hour past his bedtime and school looms tomorrow. This is after the nightly ritual of stalling. First pajamas which are too itchy, they need to be changed. Then the bathroom rituals, peeing and brushing of teeth and washing of hands. Time for bed. "I'm thirsty. This water is too warm. Can I have ice in it?" At last snuggled down with all his "guys", so many stuffed animals and critters I wonder how he fits into his bed. I sing him his "Goodnight Joseph" song. No night's sleep can begin without the comfort of his special song. I pull the covers over him, leaving the room as I wish him sweet dreams. Then he asks, "Can you cuddle with me?"

I think of the dishes that need to be washed, the laundry that needs to be folded, the email which needs response and the husband watching football wondering if I'll be back down or not. Then I allow myself to feel my soul's wish. "Aha!", my soul says, "a perfect moment!" I allow myself to recognize the question for what it really is, a request to connect, to express intimacy, an opportunity to nourish both our souls. I think about my day, the rushing around, the intensity of my focus in my conversations, the giving, the taking, the choices I have been making all day, all week. I am at another crossroads. I have been fortunate. My soul recognizes this perfect moment and tells me to choose wisely. I wonder how many moments I may have missed today in my juggling. Will I choose this one or will this one be lost forever?

"Can you cuddle with me, please? Two minutes?" Ok, two minutes. "No, I meant five, no ten minutes." I lie down next to the wriggling bundle wondering if I won't fall asleep within ten minutes myself. We spoon together, his little body fitting back around his source, my abdomen, my womb. We warm each other. It feels like honey melting into warm milk. After sometime, he turns his body to face me, throwing his arm around my neck and kissing my face. "I love my momma", he whispers as he pulls my face towards his with his little arm. This perfect moment is ours. All the dishes, the laundry, the email, and even the football fan are forgotten in that instant of intimacy. Of course I'll cuddle with you, I whisper silently, for as long as you want me to. What other answer is there? nnn