Assume the Perpendicular

As a parent, I’ve found that I often experience small moments that are so simple and lovely that I hope I can somehow lock them away in my memory forever. They are the kind that take place in the midst of a very ordinary day, often while doing very ordinary things, but they catch you off guard with their sweetness and make you think, “This is it. This is what life is all about.” I had one of these moments today.

We walk along a lake on our way to and from Baby Bounce at the library. Eleanor usually naps on the way home. She was sleepy and acting hungry, so I decided to stop and nurse her at one of the many benches along the lakefront path. I didn’t have a nursing cover with me, and sometimes if I don’t use a cover she gets too distracted by the world around her to actually eat, but she was tired enough to latch right on. She closed her eyes soon after and drifted off to sleep. We sat there for a while. It was cool, breezy, and overcast. I watched the reflections of trees from the park ripple on the water. Gulls were crying. Two coots were chasing each other here and there. I held her close to me and felt the warmth of her cheek against my breast. She slept so still and I was completely overcome with a sense of perfect peace. I hope I never forget that feeling, there in that quiet little moment.