Saturday Morning At 6:47am
I'm sitting at my kitchen counter. It's old. 17 years old. Butcher block. Which means that by now it boasts some fissures, a burn mark or two, and various mottled patches. Don't get me wrong, I scrub my counter with reasonable frequency. I'd be embarassed not to. But wood seems to have a memory that cleaning substances and Scotch Brite can't erase. Hmm, I see what looks like a pen mark too. Old homework relic. Time to sand. Rub it down with mineral oil. One of those house tasks that you carry in the back of your mind thinking to take care of. Whether you do it or not, who knows.
Last night my son said, "This is one of the great kitchen counters of all time."
Being a parent of young children is such a large job. It's like a camping trip, you pack everything you can into a car and take it with blind faith out to the wilderness. You get there and realize that you have forgotten your flashlight but you have the cayenne. You make something spicy to eat and sit by the fire. When you get home, some day when you are putting away the laundry or sorting the mail, your kid tells you, "Mom, you know when you forgot the flashlight? That was one of the great camping trips of all time." It's not just that you can't tell if you are doing it right, it's that you don't get to say what any indicators that you are doing it right might look like.
Last night my son said, "This is one of the great kitchen counters of all time."
Being a parent of young children is such a large job. It's like a camping trip, you pack everything you can into a car and take it with blind faith out to the wilderness. You get there and realize that you have forgotten your flashlight but you have the cayenne. You make something spicy to eat and sit by the fire. When you get home, some day when you are putting away the laundry or sorting the mail, your kid tells you, "Mom, you know when you forgot the flashlight? That was one of the great camping trips of all time." It's not just that you can't tell if you are doing it right, it's that you don't get to say what any indicators that you are doing it right might look like.
Labels: motherhood
posted by LPC at
6:47 AM
8 Comments:
Love this. You know, there is this twisted way we think about weddings--so self-consciously planning memorable moments. But you can never predict the little moments that will stay with you years later, and that will feel surprisingly significant when you recall them. Those are the best.
You hit the nail on the head for me today.
Tough job. You just keep packing the car and driving.
That brought tears to my eyes, it is so true. My baby boy is turning 9 and it is going by so fast. Best, Becs
I'm thinking everyone in the household worked hard at contributing to the mosaic that the counter now is, for lack of a better term, and that wood has absorbed a lot of life.
Hope you enjoy a luscious Sunday.
tp
And so we just keep at it. With a fair amount of confidence at times and an inordinate amount of uncertainty on most days. And we pray. That we'll get most things right.
i have TEARS rolling down my eyes from your story over at my place!!
hahahahahaha.
"It's not just that you can't tell if you are doing it right, it's that you don't get to say what any indicators that you are doing it right might look like. "
That's a very well written description of all of life, no? Lovely.
What poetic comments. How wonderful. Except Vodka Mom of course but laughter + poetic = best possible.
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