Kissing Hot Cheeks (and other beautiful moments)

The Power of Now.  Living in the moment.  Carpe diem! Ok you get the point.  These phrases (among many others which will go unmentioned here I'm afraid) compose the background drumbeat of my conscience: always reminding me to enjoy each moment of life and returning my focus to what is important in my little world.  Of course I am not Deepak Chopra or Eckhart Tolle or a Buddhist monk so in my opinion I am never quite present enough.  I always get caught up in unproductive mortal emotions such as anger (if that drink cup falls on the ground spilling milk ONE more time!) impatience (when IS he going to walk through that bloody door!) frustration (I've tried and tried and tried and still the stupid thing won't go!) and too many others to itemize in such a short post.

However there are those spontaneous moments in the day that happen to snap me back to the absolute perfection of the present. More effective than any self-talk or meditation could accomplish, these are the moments that laser-focus my attention, sharpen my senses and dull out the world around me.  These are the moments that I live for.  Here are my favourites these days:

1.  Kissing my son's perfectly flushed, rosy red, piping hot cheeks when he first wakes up from his nap.  I kiss them as long as he will let me and I can never get enough.

2.  Curling up on the couch enveloping my son, snuggling under a blanket together and reading a stack of his favourite books.

3.  Those eyes... those unbelievable deep eyes staring into mine with complete love and adoration.  I don't know how long this will last, so I'm soaking it up for all it's worth.

4.  The post-bath nude jumping and wrestling session on the couch every evening (Bode nude, not us).  Watching this strong, vibrant, perfect little body growing from baby to little boy right before our eyes is truly a miracle of nature.

5.  The peals of laughter that erupt from him when tickled by Dad's whiskers or Mom's fingers. The stacatto giggle of a child is one of life's most exquisite sounds.

6.  That perfect moment at the end of the day when Ian and I put a tired little man into his bed, turn off the light and wish him goodnight. And always his reply, "Nigh, nigh. Uvoo"

7.  Sneaking back in to check on him before we go to bed.  Surrounded by his books and tractors, his favourite cuddle blanket tightly grasped, bum high in the air, his delicious warm breathing.  The perfect moment to end yet another perfect day.

What are some of your perfect moments these days?