savor

he asks his mommy
if granny can be the one
to snuggle, pray and put him to bed....

i am rubbing his back
as he starts to relax
and his breathing slows
a half smile on his little face

in the barely lit room
with the light reflecting off his profile
he looks exactly and i mean exactly
like his mommy did so many years ago

in that moment,
i am struck straight through the heart
with a memory

twenty-six years ago when she was a
little two year old, red-headed girl
she could not fall asleep unless her mommy
rubbed her little cheek until she finally fell asleep

one night my in-laws were over and it was bed time
i was a bit frustrated because, tawni needed
me to 'rub' her cheek...
after she had fallen asleep,
i came out of her bedroom
my mother-in-law, this woman
who had raised five boys and two girls...
this wise woman says to me,
"enjoy it honey because, one day she will
not want you to rub her face anymore"

i specifically remember thinking,
"oh yeah, sure" because, at the time
i was smack dab in the middle of
mommy-hood and all those mommy duties
that go along with raising little ones...

i couldn't see beyond where i was right then.

it seemed as if it was always going to be like this.
that our little family would not change with time.

then, something happened,
 i blinked.

and in that blink,
in that flash,
in that instant

i blinked, and those three little girls
grew into three beautiful women
with lives and dreams of their own.

as i am rubbing this little grandson's back,
i actually thought back to the words of my mother in law,
and consciously took a long, deep breath,
drew it in and then i
just savored the sweet moment.

as i gazed at this angel's little face
all relaxed and dreamy,
i thought about how he along with his mommy & daddy
will be moving at the end of july to austria...
which means there will not be nights like this
where i am asked to rub his back,
to watch as his face relaxes and he drifts off to sleep.

so now on this day;
i will treasure each and every moment
every single minute that i am blessed with.

i will be thankful
ever so thankful,
i will remind myself to
soak it all in...

savoring
just savoring
this moment.