Curing what ails me

Today was an exceptionally trying day. I was feeling challenged, frustrated, I even got that rare glimpse at hopelessness. After the hour-long drive home, I was lost in my head and the distance that typically cures my ailments didn't make a dent.

As I pulled myself out of the car, I looked up to see your tiny frame standing in the door way. “HI MAMA!” – you shouted with an unbridled enthusiasm and a smile that could end all wars. From there, we sat on the front stoop and counted pumpkins…for an hour. Then it was dinner and bath time – “Bubbles!”.  You peed in the potty (yessss), jumped in the tub and started blowing bubbles and laughing your little buns off (Exhibit A below).  You asked for a cookie in the only way you now KNOW is fool proof: “Cookie Pweeeeease, I WIKE COOOKIE!”(exhibit B below). And yeah, you got a cookie in the bath…you were ecstatic mama's defenses were completely down.

From there we got your jammies on, collected all of the babies you could carry and proceeded to read as many books we could cram in before falling asleep.

“Read books, mama!”. You can’t get enough. Colors, Dora, Trains, Dr Seuss, Farm Animals are your favorites.  Adjusting your babies from here to there while reading, to make sure they’re comfortable and as close to you as possible.

Slowly, you sank from a fully alert position to resting comfortably on my chest as I read to you – quietly, you looked up at me and whispered “night night”, and closed your eyes while I kept reading. You clearly didn't want to interrupt my reading. After a few more pages, we decided it was time for real night night. After a juice refill, you ran to your daddy and gave him “big loves”, then walked over to your Grandpa Bill, said clear as day: “Night Night Grandpa!”, proceeded to wish every other inanimate object in the house goodnight (including goose and linc), grabbed your babies and ran to your crib. You gave me loves and kisses, wished me a goodnight, cuddled up to your 1,000 babies and drifted off. No fuss, no problem, happy as a clam...as usual.

As I sat next to you tonight while you were in the bath, I couldn't help but forget every little thing that had haunted me all day. You remind me what this life is all about. Pumpkins, cookies, books, milk, warm fireplaces, doggies, family, kisses and most importantly: unconditional, unbridled, pure and true love. I realized tonight that even my worst days haven’t been that awful, not since you were born. You are my “well, I always have” guy. You raised the bar, giving even the worst in life a new base for context + comparison.

Thanks for being my smiling little dude at the end of the tunnel. You make my world. 

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B: