The Word: STAY
A weekly challenge by Lisa-Jo Baker. We all write about 1 word for five minutes.
Unedited. Just thoughts.
Ready?
GO
Hectic. Start the dishwasher. Put out a clean towel. Squeeze the toothpaste and brush all of his little teeth. He giggles. Swish and spit.
Shirt pulls over his head, gets stuck, and he has a silly shirt-hat.
Zip up the jammies, all the way up to his chin. Give a kiss on the nose. He wipes it off.
Pull back the blankets. Hug reealllly tight.
His arms around my neck, begging me to stay.
Stay.
I move to leave, and he holds tighter.
“I want to read you a story, mommy.” His way of saying he wants to talk to me about cars and dinosaurs and super heroes.
I let him run his imagination for a bit. My mind wanders to the paperwork on the dining room table. The emails I’ve marked as important and haven’t responded to. The blog I’ve been waiting to write. The chapter I was longing to finish.
He pauses.
I try to leave.
He holds tighter.
Stay.
How can I stay when I have so much to do? Fold the laundry. Sweep the crumbs from the kitchen. Relax on the couch.
His eyes grin. Arms wrapped. Snuggled close.
I stay. Because one day, he’ll go.
STOP
He is blessed to have a mama that recognizes the importance of those moments when he asks you to stay. Cherish them, as childhood is all too fleeting.
Beautiful! You stay because he has your heart… and he always will! Just as our Father has ours! I read your words and have to say, I miss that! That season of bedtime ritual adn snuggles and stories… even the pressure to choose to stay or to go! It will pass too soon! Nowadays, I am hugging goodnight and off to bed before my busy senior! Still – though – I will say… she asks me from time to time to lay with her, to tickle her back and sing that one song we used to sing at bedtime years ago… I have to say – in those moments, there is no pressure, no questioning what I should do… she has my heart and it is my joy and my honor to lay with her, pray those bedtime thoughts together, and sing (and tickle) her to sleep! You chose the better part, my friend!
Karrilee, thanks for your good reminder and sweet words! I have to say that I don’t always stay. But I never regret it when I do. I’m going to try and make it a point to do so more often. Here’s a question: What about when all 4 want me to stay?? 🙂
Popping in from FMF. I could so relate. I have a son who calls me to stay, snuggle, scratch his back. You share my heart here too. Thank you.
Oh this grips my heart. “One day he will go!” I know this all too well. My oldest, a daughter, was just married in June. Although I have three others at home still, I miss her so much. Blessings to you!
I love how we can all connect via fmf! I love your encouragement. We are not alone. And it is nice to go on this journey together. I was thinking about eternity, when our Father will open the doors and we will all stay. Together. Oh, can you even imagine it?
Oh my, this was beautiful! Yes one day your little guy will go and you’ll have these precious memories. You stayed when he needed you most. Love this …
Blessings and love,
Debbie
Beautiful. I know I need to stay more when those little hands and voices beckon me to do so. (Found you through FMF!)
So proud of you mama. You did not give in to the tyranny of the urgent! Such precious moments. So worth the time, until he starts asking you to stay EVERY night…then you will have some tough decisions!
you have written it so wonderfully.
Yes in time he will go.
So I guess it’s best we stay for them.
My son does the same thing. He always says stay … 🙂