Mildred

Magic moments...

During a tender moment with Junior this morning we started talking about what would make us happy this Christmas. Junior asked me what the best present I had ever been given was and I replied, without even having to even think about it, that he had been my best and most precious gift. He smiled contendedly and threw himself at me for one of his super cuddles - you know the kind that just melt your heart and make you feel like the luckiest person alive. He wanted to know why he was so special. I pondered this for a few seconds before giving him his reply.
"You are the moon and the stars and the sun and the sky all rolled into one.." I smiled lovingly, "..even if I never got another Christmas present for the rest of my life I would still be the luckiest Mummy on the planet because I had you"
I suppose it was a bit "Hallmarky" but I meant every word of it and it seemed to go down well with Junior. A wee tear sprung to my eye as he squeezed me a little tighter. Hoping to keep the moment alive I asked Junior what would make him happy this Christmas. After careful consideration he brushed my cheek gently and sighed. Here we go, I thought, this is going to be something profound and beautiful - a moment to remember all my life.
"I'd be happy with some Lego Mummy" he said before running off to play with his Transformer.
Oh well, never mind.
We're off to build a snowman in the back garden. Junior thought it might be funny to make a snowwoman (I guess that would involve a couple of strategically placed snowballs?) and I am proud of him for redressing the balance. Wishing all the readers of wordswithhazel a lovely, peaceful and beautiful Christmas. X

Living in the moment

"We know nothing of tomorrow, our business is to be good and happy today"
Sydney Smith

As I watched the family dog having a good old scratch today something struck me. It occured to me that worry and regret are unique human flaws. Does any other animal dwell on the things that happened yesterday or feel sick about the things that are going to happen tomorrow?
Ellie was so engrossed in 'itching her scratch' that she wasn't thinking about anything other than that exact moment in time. Nothing else mattered to her. I can't remember the last time I did that. Just truly lived in the present. Always, at the back of my mind are the thoughts about what has brought me to this point in my life. Usually the present moment is tainted with a horrible anxiety about what lies ahead. As I watched our dopey, lovable dog's jowls wobble as she fully embraced her itch it really hit me just how much we humans have to learn from our animal friends.