What love is

Do you ever just have those little moments that when it's happening you know it'll be immortalized in your mind forever. It doesn't even have to be a great moment. I remember small moments from when I was little that I knew I would remember forever. Like when I was about 5 or 6 years old, a neighbor of ours had a garage sale. She was selling scarves and had them set up on a rack in her garage. There seemed to be SO many of them and I remember feeling like I was in a cave made of scarves! I remember playing near a pond at our house where an old tire sat in the middle. It was planted just low enough in the water to scare me. Every time I saw the pond I thought the tire was an alligator. Today I had another little moment that I hope will become part of my collection of forever memories. Both my little boys were filthy from playing outside and frankly, from just being boys, so they earned a much needed shower. They're both big enough now to use regular shampoo, which makes things a bit of a process when trying to clean them. I have to tell them to keep their head back to keep the shampoo out of their eyes, but for whatever reason, as soon as I pull their heads up they spring back down. With my youngest I have to have a vice grip on his head to keep it back. Then I have to try and wash the shampoo out AND keep it out of his eyes while he tries to thrash his head out of my hands. I have to be honest. It's not entirely endearing to deal with this. When he screams because he's inevitably gotten soap in his eyes, I find I have very little room in my heart to feel bad for him. Luckily, this is not the memory I will be keeping forever. It was of my oldest son letting me wash his hair. He was very good to listen. I asked him to back up toward the water and instantly he closes his eyes backs his little bum up into the water and tips his head back. With his eyes shut tight he smiles the biggest smile and at that moment it hit me that this is my son. My little boy. What an amazing blessing I have to raise this cute little person. Who is just that. His own person, with his own thoughts, emotions and ideas. What a huge amount of love I felt for him at that moment. Watching him with his eyes squeezed shut, smiling up at me, completely trusting me to help him. I love my kids!