Love Bits from the Past in Your Present

I am transitioning, moving from this fabulous house where I have been living for the past seventeen months. Any moving experience, as you probably know, involves packing and sorting out. That’s what I was doing when I found my 18 year-old journal. Generally speaking, I am good at creating and destroying, so this colorful journal had to have some importance to survive several relocations. As I was browsing through the pages, I stumbled upon the intriguing title “My Son’s Pearls.”

I knew I saved it for a reason! 

He was two years old at the time, and as I read each of his sayings I remembered those joyful realizations of how brilliant kids are. So, I want to share some of my notes here to evoke and spread love.

“Mom, I loved being in your belly. Do you remember how you were in your mom’s belly?”

“No, I don’t, son.”

Artem (my son’s name) hesitantly…“Mom, when I grow up will I be that stupid, too? ”

A few pages later, probably six months after this conversation, another note:

“Mom, remember I asked you if you remembered how you were in your mom’s belly?”

“Yes”

“I am beginning to forget. I remember that when I asked you then I remembered, and now I don’t remember that feeling so well.”

I don’t know what sparked the following conversation:

“Artem, do you believe in God?”

“Of course, Mom. Everybody believes in God, only some people believe he exists and the others believe he doesn’t, but the word God is present in both conversations anyway.”

The next one is “Mom, I loved you even before I was born, and now I love you too.”

Here is the last one for tonight. This happened when I was concentrated on reading a book “How to love your child.” We were in the kitchen.  Artem was playing with his little cars on the kitchen table, imitating the full range of sounds of driving. My whole attention was in the book as I watched something cooking on the stove with one eye. “Mom, talk to me.” I was frantically thinking what I could ask him so he would quiet down, so I could read my “important book!”

So I said “Artem, what do you think love is?” “Love is…” he started and then got busy with imitating cars again. I was just beginning to settle back into the book, when he concluded, “Mom, love is a celebration of life.”

I remember looking at the two-year old maneuvering his toys around the table, making his funny sounds. He seemed to be so involved in his simple child life, and yet I realized he could teach me how to love him way better than any book ever could.

And he did.

And he does -- now as a 20 year old.

To be present as another human grows and unfolds is one of the greatest gifts there is. Enjoy.