EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
Mother Knows Best
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The night he was born, I marveled at him for hours within the quiet of my darkened room in a sleepy maternity ward. My husband, exhausted from coaching me through 22 hours of labor, had finally gone home to sleep. I held my baby close. Basking in that blissful state, I projected what life would bring both of us over the next 18 years. As I stroked his thick, dark hair, I imagined what it would be like to watch him take his first steps. While examining his tiny fingernails, I wondered what his first words would be; what his voice would sound like. And with the soft smile of one who realizes they have been profoundly blessed, I thought ahead to playdates and school pageants, Little League games and birthday parties. So much to look forward to together. I remember promising him that night, with whispers from lips that graced his forehead as he slept, that I would always be there for him. It was impossible to grasp that someday this baby would be a man, and I assured myself that that eventuality was an eternity away. Now, on the eve of his 18th birthday, I am at the other end of his childhood. Now, I look wistfully upon the young man before me and can't imagine that he was ever that little baby. He is strong and tall, gentle and loving. He is all that I hoped he would become. I can say with a mixture of pride and gratitude that I kept my promise of all those years ago. I was there. For all of it. While my husband did the "dad" things, teaching him to ride a bike and throw a baseball, I was there in the middle of the night when fevers gripped him. I was there for the school plays, baseball games and spelling bees. For tearful homework nights and the first broken heart. I was there because I knew that someday THIS day would come, and it would be too late to make up for lost time. I knew that of all the things I could give him as a mother, the most important thing was to be present. Now, it's over. What seemed an eternity then feels like a fleeting dream now. His childhood is forever a memory. And I have not one regret. I gave him all that I had to offer and also squeezed every moment of joy motherhood had to offer me. I'm not frantically scrambling to counter occasions missed and opportunities lost, because I was there. For all of it. If you are at the beginning of this glorious trip with your own, take heed from one at the end. The infinite span you imagine childhood to be is but a heartbeat. Don't miss a moment. Kimberly A. Porrazzo is a senior writer for Churm Publishing, Inc. She can be reached at: kimberlyporrazzo@cox.net. |
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