That Baby of Mine

By: Kimberly Salter

        Have you ever wondered about those little feet that go pitter-patter in the middle of the night? You know, the ones that reach your bedroom door at 1:00 a.m. and come to a screeching halt, saying: "Mommy! I woke up, can you read me a story?" As you somehow come out of the coma like-sleep you were in, dreaming of that lonely beach you and your husband laid on what seems like centuries ago, all you see are these huge eyes just clearing the bed and oh, of course, "Teddy" because after all, you are told, he was responsible for waking the little one up. You melt as you gaze into their eyes, and suddenly, you feel warm and full of love. You walk hand in hand with this precious little "gem" in your life down the hall to the library. Now the challenge is to find something that would be interesting and amusing. The rocker goes creak, creak on the hard wood floor. It seems soothing to the little toddler in your arms. You are told "Teddy" is very happy you found a story that's "all" about him. With every page, you feel the little rump get heavier and heavier. At last, asleep! Wow, only 20 min. to get your little jewel asleep tonight! As you place them carefully, this is the talent, into their bed, success! Still dreaming in la-la land. Tucking them in you consider this a small thing. 10 years from now, they will be a teenager and communication at it's best will be challenging. So, you'll enjoy these special moments and cherish them always, counting your blessing for every day you have them with you.

        The song I sang to my son was; "You are my sunshine". I must have sung it thousands of times to him. One of the phrases that I would always emphasize was; "You make me happy, when sky's are Gray". He just loved it. One day when he was about 3, I had come home from work with a lot on my mind. Maybe I didn't show him the proper attention he was used to. I was just sitting in my chair rubbing my head. My 3 year old left the toys he was playing with, and crawled up in my lap. He held my face in his hands, with such determination and concentration, he looked deeply into my eyes and said, with power and emphasis: "Just wanna make you happy Mom"! Then gave me a big kiss and a hug! You have no idea what that one act did for me! This beautiful little boy made my life! I mean it! I totally forgot what was troubling me. To this day I get tears in my eyes when I share that experience with my friends. He only did it once, never again to repeat it. But, every time I would reach a point of dire straights in my life, I would remember that day as if it was yesterday and all of the sudden, nothing was bothering me any more. 

        Our children are worth ALL our efforts. When we nurture them, care for their needs and lovingly discipline them, we help them become a true asset to society. Why is this so important? Think about it, our children "Are The Future"! They are the next generation of: Doctors, Nurses, Policemen, Firemen, Social Workers, Bankers, Mechanics, and Domestic Engineers to name just a few. When we are old and gray, it's our children who will care for "our" needs and look out for "our" best interests. We must set the example for them while the time is ripe. They must be our priority! 

        Waking up in the middle of the night to put your little tyke back in bed, well, consider it a blessing. Because there will come a day when your house will miss the pitter-patter of their little feet. And you will wish they would come to you with their most basic needs, to be loved by their parent. Love them when they are young and they will always remember it. It's something that is the basic foundation; you could even say it is the building blocks to becoming complete as a person. Love your children! Care for them as if there was no tomorrow! Because, I hate to tell you this, tomorrow comes too soon.