March 24, 2011

Hands are for holding

Mornings are a rush. There are showers to take, clothes to put on, breakfasts to eat, coffee to drink, lunches to pack, teeth to brush, hair to comb, shoes to tie and jackets to don. It’s like herding cats. Only these cats will spontaneously put their underwear on their head, whine about their food and generally move slower than this father would prefer.

The phrase, “Let’s Go!” is uttered over and over. And it never sounds like an encouraging cheer. Instead, it sounds like an imploring plea of, “Let’s Goooooooo!” This is often followed by a “We’re gonna be late for the bus!” or a “I’m gonna make you walk to school if we miss that bus!”

But, invariably, we hop out the front door between 8:00 and 8:05 a.m. each and every school day. And as we open the door and the cool air hits our faces, we hunker down for the short walk to the bus stop. It’s at this point that I know we won’t be late and we relax and enjoy the walk. Swee’Pea and TheMonk pull their little backpacks on wheels that is often filled with nothing more than a completed book list and that day’s lunch and snack.

Along the walk we notice many things. We notice new gopher holes in our neighbor’s lawn, snails making a run for it across the sidewalk, newly fallen leaves, brightly colored trash and the occasional roly poly.

But what I notice is how big my kids are becoming.

Which is why, as we walk along in the solitude of the morning, I smile to myself when Swee’Pea reaches up to hold my hand as we walk along the sidewalk. Or when TheMonk continues to hold my hand after we cross our one and only street along the way. I smile because I know one day soon – too soon – my kids won’t want to hold Daddy’s hand anymore. Someday soon, I’ll have only the faint memories of holding hands smaller than mine and wondering where the time went. The cruelty of parenthood baring it’s teeth.

Yes, I’ll try to hold onto these memories because someday it’s all I’ll have. Well, that and underwear on the head.

4 Comments

  1. When the baby arrives, Swee’Pea and TheMonk won’t just be big… they’ll be HUGE.

    Oh, and that “being little” stage? It goes faster with the third kid. Honest.

    Comment by Deanna — March 24, 2011 @ 11:08 pm

  2. Was just gonna say the same thing bout the next one. My youngest tries not to hold my hand when crossing the street. The youngest ones come out trying to catch up. No matter what they’re in a rush to be Big. Break my heart.

    Comment by MamaSpeak — March 25, 2011 @ 12:42 am

  3. No future tripping allowed! Carpe diem! Because you might not be able to remember.

    Comment by Grandmother — March 26, 2011 @ 7:24 pm

  4. This made me teary today. I just realized my oldest won’t hug me good-bye or hello at school anymore and that is like a knife in the heart. She is a big, bad first grader now and is already embarrassed by her mother. She still holds my hand though and really wish that never has to end.

    Comment by Allyson/HBMomof2 — March 28, 2011 @ 11:16 am

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