Mother, Holding Child

Tonight I held my four-year-old in my arms as she slept, her hand still clasped around her glow-wand from earlier in the evening. Her hair smelled like smoke from roasting marshmallows over the fire, but I pulled her close and kissed her sweet blonde head. Her allergies have been a challenge this summer...the nebulizer has become a bedtime routine, but tonight she fell asleep dirty and happy on the couch before her breathing treatment was ready so I swept her up and cradled her in my arms. A moment to pause... moment of Oneness. At that moment, I was simply mother, holding child....no more, no less, no past, no future...just mother, holding child.