Dear Mama, Do It Anyway


One mom shares what it felt like to really stay present with her child, despite her unending to-do list.โ€œMommy rub Lilyโ€™s hair,โ€ she said, almost matter-of-factly.

I had laid her down in her crib as usual, but tonight my 1-year-old wasnโ€™t going right to sleep like she usually does.

Instead she popped back up and made her request in that achingly sweet voice only possessed by kids just learning to talk.

โ€œMommy rub Lilyโ€™s hair,โ€ she said again, this time nodding her head yes, perhaps hoping Iโ€™d imitate her and nod yes as well.

โ€œWould you like me to stroke your hair before you fall asleep?โ€ I asked, although it was an unnecessary clarification.

โ€œYes! Yes!โ€ she replied excitedly.

One mom shares what it felt like to truly stay present with her child, despite her unending to-do list.

Gently rubbing the back of her head, stroking the baby-fine hairs that reach only a little past the base of her neck, is something Iโ€™ve been doing more and more recentlyโ€”but never as part of our bedtime routine. Yet she was requesting it now, with a clearness and specificity that made her seem much older than her 20 months.

I want to tell you that I immediately saw the moment for what it was: an opportunity to steal some extra cuddles with my baby-who-is-no-longer-a-baby.

But I did not.

My mind raced to the pile of dirty dishes that extended far beyond the sink onto the counter, the laundry that sat wet in the washer (growing smellier by the minute), the work emails Iโ€™d put off answering for so long it was becoming unprofessional, and, yes, the Facebook updates I was excited to check out.

Because I wake up at 5:15am each day, the little time I have between putting my kids to bed and getting to bed myself is precious. That night, I didn’t really want to hang out by her crib for an extra twenty minutes.

And yet.

“Mommy rub Lily’s hair!”

I lifted her out of her crib, and I began to stroke her hair. The moment I started, it all changed.

Maybe it was the darkness of her nursery that made it so easy to focus only on the sensations and the emotions.

Perhaps it was her tired head so heavy on my shoulder.

Or maybe it was the calming rhythm of my fingers gently combing through her wispy-thin strands.

Whatever it was, I forgot my to-do list and simply melted into the experience of holding my daughter.

I memorized the weight of her body in my arms. I synced my shallow breaths to her deep, peaceful ones.

For those few minutes, inhaling her was my heaven and holding her my salvation. Anything else could wait because what could possibly matter more?

One mom shares what it felt like to truly stay present with her child, despite her unending to-do list.

As she grew heavier and heavier in my arms, I held on and kept meltingโ€”until I was jolted back by the thought that there’s no guarantee this moment will ever happen again. 

Maybe tomorrow she’ll make the same request but this time something will actually be more pressingโ€”some deadline or catastrophe or dreaded obligation will force me to peel myself away from her.

Or maybe tomorrow, in the blink of an eye, sheโ€™ll be a teenager rolling her eyes at me rather than begging me for a soothing touch.

What we have, right here and right now, is the only certainty.

Which is why I am so very, very glad that at least this time, I stroked her hair anyway.

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12 responses to “Dear Mama, Do It Anyway”

  1. Beautiful. I’m in tears. I’m so guilty of letting things I “need to do” get in the way of living in the moment with my beautiful family. The past few weeks I’ve been focused on changing that. Thank you for sharing!

  2. Thank you, Katie. This is just like me and my little one, almost every night. Almost. I also have a 9 year old who already does roll her eyes and I know only too well how quickly time passes, so I’m trying to hold on to these little moments with my younger daughter. I work full time, and mommy’s guilt is off the charts some days. My house is often messy, and laundry sits in the basket for days and days, but my girls are happy, and we treasure our time together even more so.

  3. Loved your text. We need to get back to living in the moment like they do. The days are long but the years are short.

  4. This just did me in…I had a moment like this with my baby (who’s 4!) last week. I’ve realized that one day he won’t want me to snuggle him and I need to take these moments when they come. Thanks for sharing this ๐Ÿ™‚

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