The Rocking Chair
Posted: Thursday, September 10, 2009
by Maria Macfarlane
mom-e-news
It's Mother's Day.
I'm sitting in my rocking chair in the nursery, looking up at the musical rocking horse on the bureau. Whimsical knick knacks line the shelves and brightly colored decorations adorn the pastel colored walls. Such a pretty room! Next to the crib hangs an elaborate photo growth chart. It has only one picture in it right now - the one that was taken by the hospital photographer only one week ago. I suppose, to mark these milestones, I will use school pictures. One foot, two feet, three feet tall as I gently lull my newborn to sleep, the thought of filling those tiny oval fames from infancy to grade 6 seems like a lifetime away.
As I look around the room I take in the sights, the sounds and the scents of motherhood. "I wish I could freeze the clock right now," I think to myself. What I am thinking.how I feelwhat I see will all be a faint memory. One day I will want to recapture this moment and I'll wish I could transport myself back to this very time and place, if only for a second.
My little child stirs on my shoulder. I smell the baby powder and feel her little tummy rise and fall against my chest. I put my head back, close my eyes and revel in the physical closeness that we share.
I lazily rouse myself from my reverie. It is Mother's Dayand as I rock back and forth I feel a maternal rush of nostalgia. Over the past two decades this treasured piece of furniture has been my refuge. I have nursed, healed, cried and slept in this beautiful old chair. Now, as I glance at my desk and admire the graduation photos of my 2 grown daughters, I am struck by how quickly the years have flown by.
I try to summon the powerful memory that moved me so deeply all those years ago. It has been 19 years to the day that I vowed to immortalize that very personal, private moment. My heart swells. As the rocking chair works its magic, I am amazed at how easily it all comes back to me.
Things have changed, yet so much remains the same. Our children are moving on and my role is changing, but I am still the passionate, devoted mother that I have always been. I fret over their trials, gloat over their successes and wish only the best for them. As they head off to find their independence and conquer the world, I take great pride in knowing that I have done my best. They are confident, lovely young women. I can only hope that the many hours we spent together in this sturdy old chair have had something to do with who they have become. It is Mother's Day. I am a mother. And I rock!
Maria Macfarlane is a mother of two and publishes the mom-e-news Newsletter, providing insight and information for the proactive mom. To subscribe to the newsletter or for more articles, please visit http://www.mom-e-news.com or send an email to info@mom-e-news.com
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