Babies don’t have wrists. I never consciously noticed that until yesterday. I was holding my 6-month old granddaughter in my lap for two hours while she slept peacefully curled up in a Maya Wrap. The purple striped wrap was on loan from my daughter who used it to carry my other two granddaughters when they were babies.
I studied Sophia’s soft little arm as it lay across her chest. Her head was completely covered by the striped fabric of the wrap so I kept a close eye on her round tummy as it rose and fell with her even breathing.
There was no wrist connecting her pudgy little forearm to her hand – just a crease between the folds of flesh. I examined the tiny dimples on her sweet curled fist – little pinpoints. I savored the image so that I could burn it into my memory. How many times will I ever have this precious opportunity again? Such a tender moment that stretched into two hours – a meditation on love – what a gift to have that bonding time.
I felt a sense of pride – I still have the touch! I’ve always had a bit of magic for rocking my babies to sleep. I rocked my daughter and son in a yellow rocking chair. My best friend Marilyn helped me paint it a few months before I gave birth to my daughter.
Now, a generation later, my daughter taught me the art of carrying babies in a sling. I took to it readily during my training with Juliet 11 years ago. My daughter also introduced me to attachment parenting and I thought it was brilliant. Carry your baby around with you while you’re doing whatever you need to do. Women have been doing that for eons and now it’s back in fashion. I loved it and added a little rock step rhythm to help the baby drift off to sleep. I felt an incredible sense of power when I could rock my granddaughters to sleep.
Oh such a delicious way to meditate – to feel the warmth and weight of Sophia’s peaceful body rising and falling on my chest. No thoughts to distract me from the simple pleasure of watching my sweet little Sophia slumber in peace. What a memorable gift for this holiday season!
