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Perfect Moment Monday: Love your interruptions

“Mommy, would you cuddle with me?”

My 9 year-old son, Reed, still asks me that at bedtime. It’s at the part of the day when I just want to open up my computer and finish that post, respond to that email, look up that fact I was wondering about earlier. In other words, I’m ready to be off duty for the day.

The voice of my dad, he of the oft-repeated Dadisms, speaks softly but powerfully in my head: Love your interruptions.

I take a deep breath this night and put down the laptop, deciding to make my son’s question not an interruption but, instead, a gift.

We read a few pages of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and I declare it’s time for lights out. He pulls out his iPod and says he wants to play a song for me. I curl my body around his while he finds the song.

It’s one we’ve both been singing loudly in the car whenever it comes on the radio. It’s a catchy tune and I’ve been known to crank up the music for the kids and me to sing along as loudly as we can. It’s become our anthem for us this winter. The song is, at its core, about resilience and relying on people close to you.

May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground
Carry on

There are some songs, when they come on the radio, that transport me to another place and time. I’m sure you have some, too. The first song I slow-danced to at the junior-high Sadie Hawkins dance. The first time a boy told me he loved me, via Commodores lyrics. Any song on the mix-tape that my husband gave me shortly after we met. Your whole being goes there — your mind, your emotions, your body. You are, instantly, 14 again, 17 again, 30 again.

I know that this song, this Winter 2012/13 anthem, will forever take Reed back to the sensations and emotions we share this night, cuddled in his bed, sharing an intimate, loving, resonant perfect moment. When he’s a teenager at college, when he first gets his own apartment, when he’s  a new dad, heck, when he’s a grandfather (there I go, time traveling again), whenever he hears this song, he will feel warm, happy, loved through and through.

That thought makes me supremely happy that I chose to love this interruption.

~~~~~

Perfect Moment Monday is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between.

On the last Monday of each month we engage in mindfulness about something that is right with our world. Everyone is welcome to join.

To participate in Perfect Moment Monday:

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Once you make a Perfect Moment post , you may place this button on your blog.What Perfect Moment have you recently been aware of? Visit these moments of others and share your comment love.

The next Perfect Moment Monday event will begin February 25.

(Cross-posted on BlogHer.)


29 Responses

  1. I often find myself downloading songs that my daughter gets attached to – even though I know she won’t even remember them.

    Tonight we had some cuddle time – it was a way to get her into bed early. But I can’t do it too often or she thinks it should be an every night thing.

    It’s always a wonderful moment when you can have some peaceful time with your child…

  2. Such a great moment! And thanks for sharing your dad’s “love your interruptions”! Most nights I feel exactly like you, I want to be off duty, and there’s my son, wanting to sing a song, find a little car to take to bed, read another story, etc. I will try to remember to love those interruptions too!

  3. I love that he still asks for snuggles. What a great interruption to what you had planned.

    The song lyrics are so powerful. What a great reminder, and truly a perfect moment.

  4. So many songs remind me of special or even ordinary times in my life. That is part of what I love about music. I don’t think there is any stronger memory trigger.

    And thanks for sharing this video. I love Fun!

  5. Every moment is an opportunity for a perfect moment. In many cases, it’s not so much what’s happening that determines whether it’s a perfect moment — just the outlook we (consciously or unconsciously) choose to take!

  6. My perfect moment just happened a minute ago, because of you. Watching my son shove an entire pb&j sandwich half into his face, blue eyes bright, as he watched this video. I want to stop time on this little boy – I should have my camera out more

  7. I was laughing when I read this … “love your interruptions” is the perfect way to express what happened to me this month, too! And how precious that Reed still asks to cuddle with you.

    I’ve never heard this song before … it’s the kind of song that makes me want to go hug someone. 🙂 Thank you for this!

  8. Well, as I was trying to read your post and comments, my 21 year old daughter, living at home now while attending art school, kept telling me about her weekend and shoving her new photoshopped pictures in my face. Then she stopped by to give me a hug, which she hasn’t done in weeks. I’d call that perfection! Thanks.

    (Love the song; lots of drinking going on!!)

  9. “Love your interruptions” – what a wonderful mantra. I am going to remember that and I imagine I will find myself repeating it to myself often. The thought of a family anthem, a song that will transport your child back in time, is also such a beautiful one. I fear our Winter 2012/2013 anthem is going to be “Gangnam Style” thanks to some kids in my son’s kindergarten who just introduced him to the song. He’ll have memories of dancing around our kitchen together singing “oooo, sexy lady”…which is both sweet and mildly disturbing! LOL! I think we need a back-up song…

  10. I am late to Perfect Moment Mondaying this month, I know it is still Monday, but as you know I typically comment and link up sooner… So it’s late for me. Great post Lori! I LOVE the title and the moment you shared. I admit that I don’t always love my interruptions and this is a wonderful reminder to embrace them more often with my loved ones, especially my children. Thank you. 🙂

  11. What a wonderful reminder to us all to “love the interruptions.” I read that, put down my computer, and went to tuck everyone in one last time. I really relate to just wanting to clock out and have your time. Thank you for giving me that reminder. Also, I love the reflection on how we tie so many memories to music and hearing that song will always take him (and you) back. Whenever I hear music from “Camelot” I can picture my Dad in the kitchen on a sunny winter morning.

  12. “whenever he hears this song, he will feel warm, happy, loved through and through”

    This! Tears!

    Guess I’d better find a few minutes later to write down this morning’s perfect moment. There was cuddling involved in ours, too.

  13. We have 2 cuddle bugs too although they won’t admit it loudly as they are now 14 & 15. You should see the 6′ 4″ 15 year old and my hubby 6″ 3″ still snuggling in the over sized chair every now and then. It is quite a sight that I adore. Now that these moments do tend to come less often (only a little) I cherish every single one more & more and that initial thought of “but I need to get this done” fades instantly.

  14. I love that song. I love FUN. And you, too! The first post I wrote about music and my son was about Fun and We Are Young. Tucker LOVES it and sings along. It reminds me of his birthday last summer (3) when we were at the beach (outer banks, NC). It will always remind me of that. While he is too young to remember that moment, I look forward to the future moments like the one you shared with Reed. You are right. He will remember, and he will feel loved.

  15. Love your interruptions…tucked that gem in my pocket.
    That song resonates with me as well. Its been a difficult few years. Very uplifting.
    I love that you share these moments with him and you’re right….this will always travel with him.

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