Being Still

Author’s Note: Sorry for the absence. I was tackling some continuing education classes. All done now, though. 🙂

My daughter is not a “still” child. She doesn’t like to be still. There are things to do, games to play, circles to run, furniture to climb. The only time when she is still is when she is sleeping, but my favorite is when I hold her in my arms, cuddle her close, and rock her in the rocking chair at nap and bedtime.

But that is also the only time that I am completely still. Sometimes, I sing or hum to her but, being in that position, holding my daughter, forces me to be still. I cannot multitask, I cannot talk, so I must be still and calm and quiet so she will, in turn, relax. I know that, maybe, folks would be surprised that we have not sleep-trained Elizabeth fully yet but, honestly, I am loathe to give up that “still time” with her. When I can hold my girl in my arms for longer than a few seconds before she scrambles down to go do something else. When I must sit and rest and breathe and be still myself. I almost always doze off before I put her down into her own bed and then tiptoe from the room.

I need those “still moments” as much as she does, I think.

One year ago, asleep on the plane.

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