Stop + Cuddle

Our daughter used to be a snuggler. She loved her baby carrier and she often let me hold her and cuddle her. Now that she is walking, she is less interested in stopping to hug her mommy. I’m so grateful Izzy loves to explore and she is fairly good at independent playtime. But there are times where I miss the good old days. The saying, the days are long but the years are short is so true.

I remember looking forward to the day Izzy could walk and play independently, it would be so much easier! Who am I kidding? It’s never easy. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable. In the past, I’ve often talked about trying to live in the moment and not playing the “I’ll be happy when” game. Recently, I’ve been treasuring the times where Izzy will stop and cuddle. I try to soak it all in and remember everything about the moment. Her soft kissable cheeks, her sweet baby scent, her big eyes looking up at me. Why? Because I know the moment will be so short and soon she will be going to preschool, kindergarten, college, ahhh.

I know it’s hard. It’s never ‘easy’ but life is too short. I’ve made it a personal goal to stop, be thankful and cherish every single moment. Even the not so good ones. I’m reminded of the scripture in Luke 2:19. After Jesus was born and right after the shepherds came to visit him the Bible states: “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” What a beautiful thing. Mary, the mother of the son of God, stopped and treasured the events that just happened. She pondered them in her heart. Are you doing this? Are you treasuring every moment? Sometimes we need to just stop. Let the phone ring, pick up the toys later, turn off the TV and just soak up the moment. I’d love to hear from you and your perspective on this topic.