To every time there is a season
Posted on October 4, 2011 by FoBaM-Jamie
I sit in my favorite coffee shop, wracking my brains for some inspiration. I don’t know what to write. It’s a Monday morning, and my muse seems to be sleeping in. My mind is a foggy vista dotted with the hazy peaks of ideas, most of which I feel I have already covered in the hundreds of mom-themed blog posts I’ve written over the years. I feel stumped, barren, paralyzed.
And then, a miniature muse-in-the-making toddles into view.
She’s here with her mom and dad who are seated at the next table over, eating ice creams for lunch. My tiny muse is clutching an empty ice cream cone in her pudgy little fingers and doing wobbly laps around the cafe. She wears dark brown leggings, a tot-sized pink polo shirt, and a pink and lavender striped sun hat with a broad brim that extends halfway down her back – making her look ready for a jungle expedition. On her feet are the most darling blue hiking shoes, complete with toe stops, full laces, and orange-gold racing stripes. This child is ready for adventure.
Each time she emerges from the other side of the center product shelf (the inside of her track), she peeks around and waits to catch my eye. When she knows I’ve noticed her, she rewards me with a huge grin and then lurches out from behind the shelf in the teetering gait of someone who has just learned to walk and may temporarily regress to all fours at any moment. Around and around and around she goes – content to do nothing more than practice her upwardly mobile skills and flirt at strangers.
Watching her brings back my daughter’s toddler years as if they were yesterday, (which they weren’t).
I smile at the baby. I wave. She regards me with a look that is focused and clear. She considers me and then smiles back. We are fascinated with each other. I remember those days with my own daughter – long days of doing little more than watching each other – taking in movements, sounds, smells, touch. The world gathered in around the two of us, enfolding us in a warm and comforting haze that shut out the rest of the world … for a little while.
I don’t have many of those moments with my daughter now.
Which isn’t to say we don’t create our own bliss. I treasure my memories of those days, years ago, when whole afternoons were spent enveloped in the enviable pastime of doing nothing at all. I feel so blessed to have experienced that sensation of time standing still, of the world stopping for mother and child. Those moments of respite are few and far between now that my daughter is a rambunctious, active, and adventurous seven year-old. But, that’s okay. We share our experiences in the world in new ways now. We teach each other how to play in the world.
Though we may reminisce about the past and look forward to the future, is it the season of the moment that hopefully captures our imaginations and hearts each day. To every time there is a season. And, if we are wise, we reap the bountiful harvest of each season in turn.
Image Credit: Me. This is my daughter at the same age as Miss Mini-Muse, wearing the same impish grin, too!
Plum Organics: nurturing Generation Organic with healthy foods for little ones
Posted on May 12, 2010 by FoBaM-Jamie
Who doesn’t struggle with the routine of mealtime, snacktime, and lunchbox packing every day? As moms, we want the best for our kids, but encouraging good eating habits – both at home and on the go – can be a challenge. Plum Organics has made it easy to foster a lifetime of healthy eating with their line of delicious baby food purees and toddler snacks – all made with pure ingredients in super-convenient, eco-friendly packaging.
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