I’ve been pondering what I want to be when I grow up. Or, ahem, now that I’m an adult. It requires stripping my heart naked and heading back to the mud of childhood where my curls were ringlets and my belly round and everything I ever said and did was cute, because: toddler.
Cheeks rosy. Throw head back for laughter to leave the lungs and fill the room. Pudgy hands crash together and again. And again. And again.
“More! Again, Daddy! More!”
Chasing, building, looking, exploring, balancing on anything and everything considered a balance beam. Eyes full of wonder. Seeking the knees of my Mom or my Dad, the safe space where my arms and their legs, once joined, were pillars, strong towers, the safest known place unless legs encircled around their waist and my head tucked into their neck and shoulder crook.
The smoothest ride without a care in the world is in the arms of a loving parent.
What is it I want to be? What is it I want to do? Why was I made and why am I here and how can I be of help to others because many a year has passed where I’ve more than helped myself.
What is it I wanted to be all those years ago? Was there something specific? Is it there I should be looking or forward to what I want to be or right here to discover and unfold the treasure?
And now my legs are the pillars for my little guy, and my hand and arms and shoulder and ears a source of comfort and strength for my daughter. How did I come to this age where adulthood is my label but youth and naïveté fill this bottle?
2 Responses
I absolutely love the idea of 5 minutes a day, Adrienne. You were an inspiration to me many years ago when your Noah was fighting for his life and my Noah was too. Thank you for continuing to write, even if it is for just 5 minutes. Love it.
Thanks, Rachel! It’s totally doable if you don’t write for perfection, but simply to get in the habit. Also, the words add up to anywhere between 200-500 count for 5-10 minutes, so those add up over time to be chapters and a book 😉 Write on, girl!