Mothering Moments...

You know how 'we' always say our little ones are going through... 'this stage' or 'that stage'...?

Well... *breaking news*...

 mothers also go through 'stages'...usually one step BEHIND the kiddies...

am i right or am i right :)

Sometimes when reading the breathtakingly... heartrendingly...beautiful mothering moments
 of others... who experience motherhood as i do...with all the passion of A GREAT LOVE STORY...

I am reminded afresh...not only why i do what i do...

but

of how important EVERYTHING i do is...

every word
every look
every touch
every feeling
every thought
every breath
every...moment...

You see I have been mothering for 18 years now...

 and have seen the sun rise and set on many stages already...

theirs and mine...

One thing i know like i know my children's hearts...

I 

never

 stop 

learning...
growing...
BECOMING...

Parenting 'big kids' is very different from raising up 'little kids'...!

and then there are moments that feel like the 'old days...'

-the worry-the stress-the fear-the tiredness- 

...the having to go with your instincts...

But they are 'fewer and farther between moments'...

Thankfully... the growing...is slow...as is the passage of time...when facing forward anyway...

and you can keep up...well almost :)
Sometimes... we 'look'...but do not 'see'...

Other times... we have no choice...

...an old photo...

and the change in your child reaches out from the past and grabs you by the throat...

and gives you a shake...till your heart aches...

 and you just have to say out loud for all... or no one at all... to hear...
'look how much you have...changed...'

'...traitor mine...'
:)

I had a moment just like this the other day...
a real time...right here and now moment...
an as i blinked moment...

Bianca-Leigh and i went to have our hair done...
some... us time...

We were at different 'stages' [of the process...]
she was leading and i was in hot pursuit...

our hairdresser stood between us...
 putting the finishing touches to Bianca's hair...blocking my view...

Stepping back...
and the great reveal had the maximum effect...

 I actually caught my breath...

the way she looked...   transformed...  
 literally took my breath away...

I am sure i blinked...hard...

i must have smiled...broadly...

as i told her how pretty she looked...
I felt so pleased in that moment...no not pleased...delighted :)

An ordinary moment in motherhood...?

No... my heart knew better...

I had just come face to face with the grown version of my blond haired, blue eyed little girl...
a young woman... not a child... sat there with me...
like an apparition...a lovely albeit unexpected one...
 she was........
 poignantly familiar... but 'beautifully brand new' all at once...and it was as if
 i was standing still on our 'life-line' in time...able to look back along our time together...seeing clearly...and then... with just a turn of my face...like following the arch of the sun through these skies as blue as her eyes...able to face forward...and see only... this moment...
for the rest is still unwritten...

The 'breaking of a new dawn' has splashed gloriously luminous colour across the heavens...

What a joy...these mothering moments are.

<3


Post Script
Mothers must not forget that our lives are running parallel to the lives of our children...
and sometimes if we are mothering with intension our 'life lines' touch and in that touching we feel the love
in all its depth and breadth :)
<3<3<3