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Monday, January 24, 2011

Cuddle

"For one human being to love another; that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation."  -Rainer Maria Rilke

Maeve is entering an interesting phase where she is more aware of  her relationship interactions.  Just lately she started tilting her head to the side sometimes, and I think it's an attempt to elicit "Awww" from us.  It's her being cute.  I have to say, the fact that she knows she's cute, well, it's pretty cute.


The best part, though, better than cute head tilts, is that she has started to put her head down on my shoulder, or on my lap, when she wants comfort.  She cruises over to me when she needs comfort, when she's tired or sad, and reaches up to be picked up.  To me, this feels like love.


I have known since she was born that she needs me; I'm her food source, her transportation, her guide into sleep and back out again.  But being loved has more weight to it than being needed.  It gives me pure, deep joy, and reminds me that I get a lifetime of this - scraped knee and bruised heart fixing, phone calls when she needs someone to talk to, Mother's Day cards that say there's no one like me.  And for me, there will never be anyone like her, my daughter.  


I have loved her since I knew she was inside me, but now I think she loves me, too.


Awwww

5 comments:

  1. Sammy has just started to lean into me when I'm holding him and it absolutely melts my heart each and every time. Baby cuddles are the best!

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  2. When I got to watch her the other night, I did love how she would rest her heavy little head on my shoulder and sort of burrow in.

    As I watched her,I was also thinking that a crawling baby is kind of an explorer, treking thru the New World on hands and knees, burning with curiosity, drooling excitedly as they discover never-before-seen places and endlessly intriguing magical things: untold jungle treasure (paper to rip! toilets to splash in! dark closets to pillage)It is so fun to watch. Maybe I'll get her a pith helmet for her birthday!

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  3. Awwww, that's such a sweet post. You are so right about what you said, it feels really nice when they start to show us affection too. Cheers! xoxo

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  4. Aww! what a sweet post. I know exactly what you mean, being needed vs being loved - a subtle but imortant difference - you put it into words just beautifully.

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  5. I remember my daughter laying her head on my shoulder when she was younger, playing with my ponytail. Love it. Boys tend to give a different type of love, always on the move, but they still need their mommies. Heck, I still need mine!

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