Bedtime

It's Friday night. I've been up since 4 am since I work mornings. Tomorrow is another work day, up at 3:30 am. I'm looking forward to getting the kids to bed and getting to sleep myself. Mommy reads a bedtime story chosen by each child. Sara wants to read hers again but it's time for bed and we can read it again tomorrow. I get to take Sara to bed while Mommy takes Connor. As I carry her into her bedroom and turn down the lights she softly says "daddy rock?" I say "Sure Princess, I'll rock you for a little while". We sit in the glider and she snuggles up to me. Slowly we rock back and forth, just the sound of her soft breath and the quiet squeak of the chair as it moves. My mind is thinking of all the things I still have to do before I can get to bed. Feed the dogs, pack my lunch, get some water for the nightstand, get the dog beds ready... the slight sigh of a little girl falling asleep catches my attention. She's cuddled up with her bear, the one I brought her back from a trip last year, with her thumb delicately perched on her bottom lip and her eyes closed. Her breathing calms my mind and brings me back to something I enjoy. Just being together. I could put her in her bed, get my list done and be off to bed within minutes but I don't. I don't want to go just yet. These are the moments that make life so beautiful, peaceful, and blessed. I rock back and forth and realize my list of things has left my mind and has been replaced by one thing, the sweet love shared by a daddy and his little baby girl. Sleep can wait, I've found something that is much more restful. I realize that I never want to be able to say "I wish I had spent more time with my kids". They'll be grown up too fast I already know, but for right now, time is standing still. And so am I.