i follow her instructions
to the letter
one and a half cups
for every cup
rinse with more
seriousness than usual
neutral cooking oil
instead of coconut
boil the water first
allow the rice to open
turn the heat down
low, low, low
as low as you can get it
it doesn’t come close
there must be something
in a grandmother’s hands
a certainty perhaps
a wisdom that can only
come from repetition and
loving intention
the way my own Mother
instinctively knows
how to make my son giggle
how he reaches for her
and no other
the sureness of her hands
the internal rhythm of her
every movement
the hums and rhymes and
ease and comfort and joy
she emits
it flows naturally
as though from a well
deep inside her
some sacred grandmother
reservoir containing
every recipe, lullaby,
well-worn memory
earned through
Motherhood
the profound
unfaltering
knowing
the art of making
the perfect rice
the art of soothing
and delighting
a sixteen-month-old
grandson
the exquisite
art
of a grandmother’s
hands
certain truths found in
dandelions and pinecones
spring blossom petals falling from the sky
a sense of rejoicing
the robin, the cardinal
the goldfinch
and you, a tiny speed demon on your scooter
learning that mud comes after the rain
and is soft enough to push your finger into
wipe it on the grass after
no, grass is not hard
not too hard, you say
we are such keen observers
the songs, the colours
we drink it all in, together
speaking the names, taking our time
learning the textures along the way
i read somewhere
it takes a mother’s body
more energy to produce milk
to feed her baby
than it does
to pump blood to her own heart
our little intricate systems
moving energy
converting it into
love and other nutrients
this long weaving
highly charged, perfectly designed
channel from mother to baby and back
baby to mother
each created for
one another
it is so easy to forget
that the world
is this way, but
out here where the wildflowers grow
and the birds fly low
here where the dandelions roam
and the pinecones make their home
here where we are free
you and me
you, my constant reminder
the way life's supposed to be.
this afternoon i am astonished by the length of your limbs as you sleep.
time marked by new words and phrases, all spoken in your tiny but mighty voice. new seasons of wind and heat, your sudden ability to withstand the waves.
we are here only a moment, like the sand we form into volcanoes to watch dissolve in the water or better yet watch crumble under your feet.
some days we flow like the river without the rocks some days are more turbulent.
my hope is always that you feel seen even as my mind races to make decisions about dinner and where in this big beautiful world we should call home.
we’ve just arrived, i will say, in each new country. nothing is constant, i will say, in each new town.
your home will always be your hand in mine, your head on my shoulder, you in my arms.
later, i will explain to you that you carry this tremendous love inside you. home doesn’t come from a place belongings or a piece of land.
home is where you came from home is where you will go back to.
for now those soft green hills that crayola blue sky this gold shimmering sea provide the palate of your second year.
these fleeting but forever days where i am in perpetual awe of you and you, my unwavering reminder of all that is fleeting and forever.
for all that is unending there is another which must be temporary.
save for one for now and until forever, i will be your home.
don’t you want to?
they ask
don’t you miss going out?
don’t you worry?
they wonder
always being left out?
aren’t you lonely?
they guess
just you two all day long?
aren’t you bored?
they suspect
don’t the days just drag on?
you could try …
they start listing
all the things i could do
:
with his Grandma?
maybe daycare?
take some time ‘just for you’
well-intentioned
their suggestions
simple things ‘would be good’
good for whom?
is my question
are these small simple 'shoulds'
good for him?
or for me?
whose idea of ‘good’?
never thinking
if I wanted
then i easily could
but my answer
is the weight
of his head on my chest
my boy sleeping
his soft breathing
and no care for the rest
i simply can't catch every moment
some are just too quick to pass
in a breath they slip right through my fingers
how i long though, to make each one last.
the sweetness of you at bedtime
the silliness as you run in the sea
the small hand in mine as we’re crossing the street
these moments i'll keep just for me
first giggles that came without warning
first smile as bright as the sun
tiny first steps I replay in my mind
the day that my baby turned ONE.
yet, the first 'ma!' was spoken, in what month?
first tooth popped when? i can’t recall
was it four or five months, you rolled over?
were you EVER (no really?) THAT small?
but, the first time you latched in the NICU
and the first night i woke to your cry
the first time i laid you in your papa’s arms
i can see without closing my eyes.
yes, i simply can’t catch every moment
i know deep down it must be this way
i can’t ever hold on to a past that you aren’t
for you ARE; you’re this moment, today.
My darling child, as I watch your sweet face
Peaceful and sleeping, each detail I trace.
These tender moments, the end of each day,
I whisper quiet wishes as you drift far away.
I don’t say, ‘be strong’ darling, for you already are
I won’t say ‘be good’ either, or ‘don’t stray too far’.
I won’t whisper to you all my ‘secrets to living’,
Nor will I tell you ‘be selfless, be kind and forgiving’.
For I believe in your goodness, I’ve seen it from the start
That goodness comes naturally, as your wide-open heart.
Generosity, kindness and gentleness too
These are natural states, expressed clearly through you.
See, I am not here to teach you, you’re here to teach me,
Remind me of who I am, remind me to Just Be.
Your vision is clear, and your spirit is free,
Like you came here to remind your Mama how to see.
Your raw, unadulterated joy brings out mine
Your awareness and attention make mine more refined.
You remind me of all those things I am not,
And you show me the truths that I somehow forgot.
I won’t wish for one moment, that you see things like me
And I won’t waste one wish teaching you how to 'be'.
Your superior wisdom, unencumbered mind,
Pure expressions and emotions not conditioned like mine.
So,
my darling child, as I watch your sweet face
Peaceful and sleeping, each detail I trace.
These tender moments, at the end of each day,
I whisper quiet wishes as you drift far away:
You are safe, you are loved, this whole world is your home
You take my love with you, wherever you roam.
We will never be separate, I whisper in your ear
I am always beside you; I am always right here.
Carry this with you, as you start each new day
You are already perfect, in every way.
You are sunshine & magic, my love through and through
And you have everything you’ll ever need inside you.
mama musings 