Snuggling Under The Covers

She was 4 years old sitting in her little pink rocking chair trying to hold a book and my hand at the same time. That was my precious little Natalie taking care of me when I was sick. Her sweet face was filled with patience as she sat lovingly beside my bed. She would spend hours sitting and rocking and reading me stories that she matched with the pictures in her books. My itty bitty nurturer. Her little stool helped her crawl up and bring me drinks of water and cookies out of the cupboard that was 'way high up.'

I have to admit there were days when I crawled into bed and pretended to be sick so my little Florence Nightingale would comfort me. There are days when all of us just need someone to take care of us and show us that we are loved. The love and innocence of a 4 year old can sure fill that need.

When she was in high school we would often collaborate on her term papers in our jammies, cuddled up under the covers. It was fun spurring each other on to create better ideas than either of us could come up with on our own. Those memories are treasures I carry with me. The train analogy that just kept chugging along. Yep that became an A paper for sure!

Natalie has grown into a beautiful, young woman who will turn 20 in April. Although though she no longer lives at home, she still has her loving, nurturing side. She has shown it to middle school kids through her Young Life leadership, to her friends, and to her family. I cherish times when she comes home and crawls into bed to show me something on her laptop. Sharing inspirational videos that she has found on Tangle or YouTube. Some people find they bond best at the kitchen table over a cup of coffee or tea. For Natalie and I it is curled up in bed, sharing, laughing, and sharing our lives. Jealously, I wish these could happen as often as they did when she was young but life goes on.

What we need to do is take the time to enjoy the special people God has put in our lives whenever opportunities arise. Those times may become less frequent, but the memories we create will be cherished forever.

In Him,
Joyful
3-2-2010