A Moment

I read this on one of my scrapbook blogs. It touched me and I thought it was good enough to share. The picture is of my good friend Abi and Cooper years ago. She's been working so long and hard to join the ranks, and I'm so proud to say that Abi is finally cooking her own little peanut inside.

A Moment

I touched my two-month-old baby’s skin yesterday. I don’t mean that I brushed against it while changing his diaper. I don’t mean that natural skin touching that occurs while I am nursing him, burping him, rocking him, or picking him up to put him in his car seat as I’m rushing out the door to run errands.

I mean I stopped what I was doing, stopped my duties as a mom, and I felt, with every emotion in my body, his cheek rubbing up against mine. I heard his small, soft, little breaths and smelled their innocent sweetness. I gazed into his eyes and marveled at who he was, his very life, and wondered at what that life will look like as it plays out.

But, his skin - his skin is what I remember from that moment. Its softness, its warmth, its life. I realized how often I come in contact with it and truly think nothing of it. Think nothing of the miracle it took to create that skin. Think nothing of the fragility of his little body covered by that perfect skin. Think nothing of how quickly that skin will change and become rougher, older, more worn.

Life is funny that way, isn’t it? We don’t taste life deeply in any sort of consistent manner. We only taste it in bits and pieces - in moments. There is so much going on around us - so much activity. That activity isn’t necessarily bad. Activity can keep us healthy. It can develop friendships. It can allow us opportunities to create, to serve, to learn. But, I need both. I need activity and rest. There are times for each.

Yesterday, I got a much needed moment of rest. As I felt baby Luther’s skin on mine, it was as if my soul took a deep breath. I felt refocused. I felt things in my life slip into perspective. I felt my heart overflowing with love and joy and thankfulness. All from a single touch.

I think our senses are so important to these moments of rest in our life - the moments where we get to let our soul take a deep breath. My senses are so often ignored, but I’m trying to be more aware of them and how vital they are to my life. There is a reason that quote “Stop and smell the roses” resounds so beautifully with us. Smells, touches, sounds (like music or laughter), sights, and tastes can add so much richness to our life. Focusing on our senses, even if but for a few seconds, can allow our soul to rest. I am valuing these “moments” in my life and I am trying to stop and catch more and more of them to savor.