Thursday, March 22, 2012

A Thing Remembered.


"You said you would, and you didn't."

His brown eyes peered at me over his blanket.
Another day had passed
and the promise I had made the night before had gone unkept.


"I'm so sorry, Levi.  I don't know why I forgot.
I just got busy."

Busy.

What an empty excuse.
The use of it sounded as lame as it felt.


He is the patient one.

He asks for things quietly,
and then his older sister needs help with her schoolwork,
or his baby sister makes yet another mess that demands immediate response.



I feel as badly the next night when he says it again,

"Mom, why didn't you do what I asked?"

I don't even want to say it again,
but I do.

"I'm so sorry, Levi.
I really am.

I will really try to do it tomorrow."

I want to explain to him that my piles to be done don't seem to be dwindling.

The seat cushions for the porch chairs still need to be finished.
The living room wall still needs a final coat,
as does the trim.

There are countless other projects waiting,
as well as all the other usual housework chores.

But somehow,
I know all those explanations will just be words uttered to him,
words that say,
"Today, you just weren't important enough."


And so tomorrow,
I determine I will do it.



Tomorrow I will take the time to show my son
that he is more important than all the things that keep pushing him out.


Because as little as some things may seem to me now...


I know they are big to him.



And the look in his eyes as he watches me create
the promised wonder...

the "Ooooh," he says as he twiddles his little fingers in deep concentration as he watches it form,
 and the glee in his eyes as I hear him,
"Wow!  It really looks like it, Mom!"

Then he looks at it throughout the day,
up on the shelf away from his little sister's crushing hands.

He smiles at me
because I actually remembered,...

and I know he is worth it.

Posted by Tonya at Thursday, March 22, 2012
Labels: , , , , ,

19 comments:

  1. 21 WitsMarch 22, 2012 at 1:47 AM

    Little ones never forget! What a lovely post, and that is one of my favorite books..we have several of those.....kinds!

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  2. Susan AndersonMarch 22, 2012 at 4:01 AM

    You're a good mom!

    =)

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  3. VBRMarch 22, 2012 at 7:44 AM

    beautiful R post. children. without doubt the most precious of all the experiences we have. not only as a mom, but interacting with any child - to see the world again through their eyes - a moment to be a child again ourselves. remember every moment you have with them, because childhood is a very short time in a life. but memories made then are carried forever.

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  4. Short and SweetMarch 22, 2012 at 9:27 AM

    I really enjoyed reading your post and realizing how important the little, simple things in childhood matter most sometimes.
    Thank you,
    Loretta

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  5. TexWisGirlMarch 22, 2012 at 10:04 AM

    sweet boy...

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  6. peterMarch 22, 2012 at 10:18 AM

    nice posting.!
    virtual worlds for kids

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  7. Richella ParhamMarch 22, 2012 at 11:05 AM

    Yes! You remembered! You remembered Levi and you remembered what's most important. Well done, Mom!!

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  8. Rocky Mountain WomanMarch 22, 2012 at 1:46 PM

    Well done! Levi sounds like a sweetie....

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  9. AnonymousMarch 22, 2012 at 3:30 PM

    This post brought tears to my eyes as I remembered a long ago request from my young son (now grown with children of his own). I was washing dishes and he wanted to play catch...I told him I would play catch with him as soon as I finished the dishes, but he evidently didn't think I would ever finish. With stacks of dishes in the sink before me, I watced through my kitchen window his little form walk across the front yard with his head down and shoulders slumped - glove in one hand and ball in the other. He sank down on the grass and put his little head down on his knees. My heart broke and I immediately went outside to do something far more important than chores.

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  10. anitamombanitaMarch 22, 2012 at 5:18 PM

    oh sweet. So important (and so hard) to do what we say we're going to do.

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  11. Ei8ht Beach StreetMarch 22, 2012 at 5:45 PM

    Wow, I really felt that. I felt the sting in my eyes and the stab in my heart for all the times I put something trivial first. Great writing.
    Thank you.

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  12. Cheryl D.March 24, 2012 at 2:13 AM

    Very sweet post! I'm so guilty of not always making the time to do something for my daughter! Life does tend to take over!

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  13. TammyMarch 24, 2012 at 7:33 PM

    What a sweet post! Thanks for sharing and reminding us all what really matters :)

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  14. The Kim Six FixMarch 27, 2012 at 2:35 AM

    "So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep. I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep" Thanks for the reminder!

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  15. HannahMarch 27, 2012 at 2:44 AM

    Really beautiful, and such an important message. Thank you x

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  16. Patricia PMarch 27, 2012 at 2:58 PM

    That makes my heart ache! I can't count how many times I have to put off a request by one of my children, because I have something more pressing to attend to. What a special thing you did!

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  17. Stacy RisenmayMarch 27, 2012 at 4:19 PM

    What a beautiful and touching post!!! I loved reading it :)

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  18. To the Toy Box and BeyondMarch 29, 2012 at 12:44 PM

    what a great post

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  19. JennyMarch 31, 2012 at 1:35 AM

    I am Really getting all misty-eyed over here...

    Sometimes life gets so hectic and its hard to Remember everything... I bet you Really made his day though...

    You are a Remarkable mother...

    Great post for the letter "R"!

    Thanks for linking.

    A+

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