Proper snuggle
I woke up late this morning. This usually tosses me into a
mad dash of rushing through all the things I should have begun fifteen minutes
earlier and this morning was no different. My mind went to the worst place possible.
I figured I was in danger of starting everything off all wrong and having a
horrible day.
I leapt out of bed and ran to wake up Lena. And because I
was late, I suppose I hurried through what is usually a much sweeter routine of
gentle caresses and soothing, “Wake uuuupppp, Leeeenaaaaa. It’s time to wake uuuuup…”
Instead I flipped on the light and announced that we were
late and that she had to get moving pronto. She wasn’t happy about it.
“Ugggggghhhhhh. Ok,” she answered through a stretch. “But
wait, mom.”
“What?”
“Can I get a proper snuggle?”
This stopped me in my tracks. It is such a great request on
so many levels. I loved it for the language, for the politeness, the creativity
of it and also for how direct it was. Her words are often very accurate
somehow, when she is not even trying to be.
I immediately launched into my best Dickensian cockney.
“So yew wahnna prohpah snuggow, dew yew? Aww rite den!”
That’s how with six little words, Lena forced me to abandon
my misguided haste to tend to coffee and lunches and email, and instead start
my day off proper-like with a nice long snuggle with a ten year old who still
asks to be snuggled. What’s my rush anyway? Who cares if she’s five minutes
late to school? Who cares if she gets a tardy? Well, she cares actually but you
and I both know one tardy in 5th grade does not mean a damn thing in
the grander scheme of things.
So we snuggled. And it was divine. And I slowed down. I said
yes, like I just promised myself I would do more often and it's turning out to be
a gorgeous day.
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