Thursday, May 7, 2009

Waking up - Random Friday

Yesterday, Thursday I was awaken by the piter patter of little footsteps running down the hall, I turned over faced the wall and hoped they would continue, but they didn't. They, as usual made  sharp left and dashed into my room at top speed, upon entering made a beeline for my bed and I found myself being summarily attacked by a three yard old and her sippy cup. 
My mornings often start this way, but sometimes they start with a call from the other room, wanting me to get up and come climb into bed with her.
Either way, I lose. Or do I? 
Somehow, I think,  should I go back to an old fashioned cell phone waking me up it would be quite dull. 
Life is made up of a series of events that make our days, weeks, years, what they are. 
I am thinking of the changes in my life by the early morning ritual of waking up.

Years ago,I was awaken by two girls giggling in their room, and a young man who got them up and helped them make their own breakfast. I could hear them fussing, and Sharon's every day no every hour plaintive voice, "Eric, No" for whatever reason. It started at breakfast and went on all day. Eric, no don't touch this, Don't look at me, leave that alone, Mom Eric is bugging me. 
Sibling rivalry? In my house it was Eric and Sharon rivalry.

Years after that, they got up made breakfast and didn't need me at all. Got their school books stat at the dining room table waiting for me to start school. 
Still for a minute heard the Eric, Nos until during this period they were silenced forever.

Then I turned around, and I was alone. They were in colleges or their own apartments,
and I found myself in a 2500 5 bedroom house alone. 
So, the alarm clock tried to wake me, but mostly I awaken myself. Breakfast was yogurt if anything, then off to work I went. Fed my Golden retriever "Beau"  This is my independent period. 

A few years after  the house was too big I found myself in a townhouse, and with a cellphone. 
The shrill of the cell phone was different from the alarm clock, I still beat it with my inner clock. 
My daughter lived up the rode with her new husband, my ex lived across the street and my son was in Charleston with the person who was to become his wife in a few years. Another era begins. 

The cell phone remains the means of waking up until two years ago and I moved to Florida,
Then a 18 month old had to check on me each morning to make sure I was still there.  Most morning I was up before she was, and went to work, but the mornings I was there she knew and had to make sure I was awake. 

so now, the 18 month old is three and still makes sure she is the one to wake Nanny up. 
We have a deal, her and I, she can't get up until the sun is up. Thats a hard deal to keep, she has so much life in her. 

But I am awaken by the sound of children or child again. 

It would seem I have gone in a circle, here I am once again with a child being the focus of the house. There are not three but most days, their might a well be she has the energy of all three of my kids who were mellow. 

The cycle of our lives are steady, and I think the world goes in the same cycle. Denise and I were shopping at the good will today and I pulled out a skirt I would swear, (except I don't) was the same skirt I brought back in 1989, same color, same style. I know I have heard before the clothes they wore in the 20's was the same clothes they wore in the 60's. So maybe the cycle does continue. 
Hope not though, that skirt was ugly in 1989 and it was still  ugly in 2009. Some parts of the cycle can't change. 
But some can', because children will always be here and the joy of waking up to a child excitement at facing another day is priceless. What is mundane to us, is still fresh and exciting to us and that is what makes the cycle worth it. 
So no I don't lose, the cycle just becomes richer as I wake up in the morning to the sound of new life, time enough for my cell phone to wake me up again. 



No comments: