That moment when past, present and future collide. If you’ve experienced it before, than you may already have an image in your head. If not- let me share mine with you and maybe it will inspire recollection of one of your own magical moments such as this.
At first glance you might just see a sweet image of two hands together. One big, one small. But for me, This picture was taken because I simply could not let the significance of the moment pass by without capturing it and assuring that it could somehow be frozen in time.
For instance in this moment I felt every emotion possible. But of all the emotions there are, It started with frustration.
As usual, I was awoken by my youngest child in a rough and demanding type of a way. He- coming off of a wonderful night’s sleep in a big bed with the comfort of his mom by his side, me- coming off of another interrupted night’s sleep due to a small yet strong child pushing me towards the edge of the bed after being kicked multiple times during the night.
Why do I endure this you might wonder?
Because he’s my baby. My 3rd child. The one who broke me of all sleep training/parenting strategies and inevitably lead me into an unexpected attachment style parenting situation.
At first I thought my lack of motivation towards sleep training with Jackson was due to him being the said “3rd child.”
But when he obtained a conductive hearing loss at the age of 1 that was actually an undetected Bilateral SNHL caused by a genetic syndrome, I believe the Co-sleeping and attachment parenting was actually the result of an unspoken connection that developed between the two of us. One that I didn’t know was happening, but I believe he knew that we would both need.
But back to waking up that morning. Jackson usually shakes me with more energy than someone who just achieved R.E.M should receive and the volume of his voice is typically louder than usual as he has not put on his cochlear implants yet. Sometimes I respond similar to that of a teenager with a “5 more minutes!” Sometimes I just can’t help but smile (after I finally “come-to”) because he has a way of looking at you as if you are the most amazing person in the world.
Sometimes he is ready to get up and get going. Other times he actually wants to talk and snuggle a bit more. This particular morning he found his hand in mine and he said, “Look mom! My hand is almost as big as yours! It’s getting bigger! Soon it will be as big as yours and then I can be your husband!”
I immediately began to laugh and then he laughed and it was a moment full of giggling and tickling. Then he was off and ready to start his day and as soon as I got up to begin mine, I just couldn’t stop thinking about what he said.
Precious Moments like this one always send me on a trip down memory lane.
I started to recall some hard and wonderful moments from the previous years.
I remember that checkup when the pediatrician asked me with concern in her voice, “does he have any words yet?”
I remember when he only had 30 words and then he got hearing aids and within the span of a few months he was up to 300. It didn’t matter that the typical 3 year old had ____ many words, to us his development was monumental.
I remember when I was told that he qualified under the deaf and blind category for benefits and it deepened the reality that his syndrome will inevitably lead to vision loss.
So hearing my 7 year old son speak in complete sentences with thoughts regarding his growth, and his future…
Takes my breath away.
Sometimes our present becomes priceless because of our past. And sometimes our future becomes full of hope because of how our past turned into a present that we never thought possible.
As we embark upon each New Year, we reflect on what has passed and we take stock of our present. And with these reflections we consider what we hope for.
For some, this is an annual experience, complete with new a planner, or journal, goal-setting worksheets and a fresh “one-word” for the year.
For others these practices are rejected and avoided at all costs. Maybe because it is cliche and all too often filled with fleeting promises that will be forgotten after the buzz of the new year fades. Or maybe because new years hopes had been established in years prior only to be met with disappointment and heartache.
Regardless of your theory or opinion, I think it is important to take a moment to think of where you have been, and where you are now. If those reflections are painful, maybe it is necessary to do so with the support of a loved one or a counselor. In doing so, my prayer for you would be that your tomorrow finds hope possible.
If you find that you connect with myself and my life stories, I pray that your reflections remind you of how far you have come, and how faithful God has been. He has seen you and I through the deserts and the valleys, met us on the mountaintops and at times even parted the seas.
I pray that you see your worth and the impact your life has on those around you. And that you give yourself permission to establish hopes for your new year and trust that the Lord is always at work in your life. And most of all- “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4
Motherhood & Mindfulness 