It’s 3am and Miss M is crying.
I lie in bed listening, waiting to see if it will remain the habitual cry of a small child who wakes in the dark momentarily, then closes her eyes and heads off back to dreamland, or whether it will grow and build and become one of fear and need and want.
As the sound builds I climb from my soft sweet covers, gently patting my sleeping (or pretending to sleep – git) husband on the shoulder as I walk past him and out of the door.
Miss M is sitting upright in bed, her eyes wide and dark and afraid.
Miss M: “I want all my pets Mummy. I want my little snail.”
Me: Hush baby. Did you have a dream?
Miss M: Yes. And I want dat snail and dat purple fish. I lost dem.
Me: Well we could maybe find a snail in the morning, but it would be mean to keep him, we don’t know what he’ll eat.
Miss M: And I had a purple fish with big eyes Mummy. She was beautiful. Like a princess.
Me: Well if you go back to sleep you might dream her again. She can be your dream fish can’t she?
Miss M doesn’t look convinced so I let her climb onto my knee for a cuddle. As she does her body melts into me and her breathing steadies and her sobs gently subside. She isn’t asleep, just safe and calm and I hold her and rock her a little, glad that she is still young enough for this utter peace to come with such relative ease.
When Miss E is sad her needs are so much greater as she strives to understand her feelings. The cuddles take so much longer and the upset can return again and reach even greater heights as she ponders her situation and battles for control over her thoughts and emotions and fears.
As I rock my little girl, and rest my lips on her soft hair, I too feel completely calm and at peace. Nothing can beat the love from a sleepy child in the dark of the night.
Unless it’s the love from a sleepy child in the dark of the night while my significant other (or David Tennant) plies me with cocoa and cookies. Now that would be heaven.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:48 am
It’s wonderful when the arms of a mother can calm a child. You know even when they have children of their own it still works!
August 20th, 2008 at 8:38 am
This was such a sweet post Jo. Nothing better than mommy, eh?
August 20th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Poor little Miss M … bad dreams are so scary … and growing up doesnt make then less so … you are a wonderful mommy …
August 20th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Much as I hate getting out of bed in the middle of the night, I love midnight cuddles.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:57 am
I don’t know Jo, that was the best part of mommyhood to me…the being able to chase away the bad dreams and replace it with nothing but warmth and love…I wish I could hold mine like that again…but the big blokes would crush me!
hugs
Sandi
August 20th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
oh JO…..love how you can ruin a perfectly sentimental post with a funny remark at the end. LOL okay…so you didn’t really RUIN it, just changed my “awwwwwwwwwwwww” to “tee hee”
August 20th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Funny when kids have dreams and they are so real. I recall having a dream about a chair as a kid, and someone trying to steal it. I woke my mother up by yelling in my sleep, “Give me my chair!”
August 20th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I love the purple fish that looked like a princess. Makes me want to go get a purple fish, and name it princess…
August 20th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Been there. Done that!!
August 20th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Becca just climbed into my lap and said, “Mommy. I home.” And my heart melted. Oh the loveliness of our little girls…
August 20th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
ooooh yes with the plying. always with the plying. i hear david makes an awesome cuppa anything. like that’s what you’d do if david was around. drink.
August 21st, 2008 at 4:17 am
Ahh Akela that’s lovely and so true. I still need my mum at 33. She’s wonderful.
Maria thanks babe, it’s so true.
Daryl I try. I was up with her twice last night as well though so I’m feeling it today.
Lori, I love midnight cuddles with little monkeys too. Just not every night.
Sandi, I bet your big boys still get cuddles though. I do love that I can sooth away their sadness most of the time.
Corey, I like to keep you on your toes babe.
Susan, tat’s so funny. Misses M and E both seem to have very vivid dreams. They haven’t done chairs yet though.
Mie, it would be so cute wouldn’t it?
David, more than once I bet.
Kim, that is so adorable. I think I just ,elted onto the floor.
Holl, well we might have a little drink before…
August 21st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
there have been far too many late night crying jags in my house lately..
August 21st, 2008 at 5:19 pm
My little one recently asked “what’s a nightmare?” I replied “it’s a bad dream”. She then asked “what do you call a good dream?” I thought hard and replied “um, a good dream” Isn’t life complicated when you’re 4?