Eighty-eight eyelashes

By Mindy

Have you ever occupied a certain physical space that felt exactly right to you? That felt peaceful, and clear, and sweet? I stumbled across one today that seemed to whisper to me, "Stop! Stop right here, be utterly still, and just feel yourself in this place."

There are times when we occupy exactly the right coordinates in the world, and if we are fortunate enough to realize it at the time, we can know what it's like to belong utterly and unquestionably and for as long as we can stretch the moment.

I was amazed.

We were at my son's t-ball game this afternoon, in the spectator's stretch behind third base with my three-year-old son and two-year-old daughter. Daphne, napless and coming down with a bug, was forty minutes into a monumental meltdown. She had been crying and unapproachable from the moment we arrived, and had finally reached a steady state after stripping off her clothes and kneeling on the grass with her fists in her eyes.

I stood and went to her, gently wrapped her in her blanket, and lifted her into my lap, relieved beyond measure that she'd allowed me to hold her and offer a cuddle and a nurse. She snuggled into me, and was soon calm and sleepy.

That's when I noticed it. Everything was just right. The grass was fresh and welcoming, the sky was blazingly clear, the temperature was just cool enough to counter the warming sun, and the air — the air! The air was magical, sharp, entrancing.

I gazed down at my daughter, nestled on my lap in a jumble of blue denim, white cotton, green corduroy, pink yarn, alabaster skin, and strawberry blond hair. I was in the right where, at the right when, with the right who. My heart was full, and it was creaking.

We sat like that for well over an hour, while the boys played out the innings, and the families packed up their things, and the coaches put away the gear. We sat while my husband and sons went to the snack shack to bring back lunch, and sat while they ate and talked about the game.

As the wind picked up and we collected ourselves to leave, I stood and stepped outside of my coordinates, but not until I had counted each of my daughter’s eyelashes.

There were eighty-eight.

Comments

[Kelly Corrigan]

That was truly a stand out blog. I read and write a lot and that was really well done.

[Robin]

That was truly beautiful. Isn't it nice to have lovely days like that? I am glad you enjoyed such a magical day.

[Jess]

That was great. :) ( I came over from Liz's. )

[erin]

I am a new reader to the site. That was such a beautiful story.

[Liz]

:') beautiful.