My sweet boy loves nothing more than hugging and snuggling with mommy these days. Perhaps it’s this age or that his little sister is becoming so mobile. He wants to be picked up and held all the time, and he loves playing a game he made up called “mommy’s baby”, where he acts like a little baby and asks mama to cuddle him like one. Few moments are so precious as when he squeezes me tight and says, “I love you mama.” ❤️
There are some instances though, when I’m juggling things like trying to fix dinner, cleaning up, or wrapping up some work, that I find myself saying “wait sweetie,” “not right now,” or “mommy can hold you later.” There are times when I remind him that he’s bigger now or that he can hold my hand and walk. At times, I think it’s important – and it very well may be – to try not to overly coddle him, to empower him to be more independent.
But those sweet moments we have, especially at bedtime – when he hooks his little arm around my neck, or squeezes me with as much might as his little three-year-old muscles can muster, and says “Mommy, I love you” – well, I can hardly handle how my heart swells and melts. In fact, I’m partial to the belief that perhaps these are some of greatest joys this life can offer.
I’m attending a wedding today, to see a friend and mentor’s son get married. It’s a salient reminder that my little boy won’t be little forever. That one day, it won’t be his mama whom he’s holding tight anymore. That one day, it’ll be time to let him go.
If there is one thing I want my children to grow and go with, it is to never doubt for a single minute how much they are loved. This little season we have to raise them, shape them, and snuggle them is a gift that will one day pass. May we take every opportunity to love and hold our little ones while we can.
Christina Peng 