Favorite Things

Favorite Things

| my heart |

This Friday’s Favorite Things is extra special to me. I’m posting photos of our family trip to Orlando, FL. We did the whole Disney and Universal Studios thing and it was so wonderful to get away and have my family together 24/7. I spent last weekend looking over 700 photos, reliving every moment. But the thing that I remember most about the vacation, is the only photo I don’t have. The photo I don’t have is one of my son holding my hand.

Here’s the back story. Jackson recently turned 12 years old and as he has gotten older, he has become less physically affectionate. As a parent, it is one of the hardest things that I’ve had to come to terms with. I’ve cried to my girlfriends that he’s pulling away, and they assure me that he’ll come back around when he’s older. I don’t care much for the waiting. My love for him consumes me, so despite his protests, I grab him every morning to give him a hug before he gets on the school bus. He tolerates it, just barely.

You can appreciate the fact that my heart skipped a beat when he took my hand as we were walking through the theme park at Universal Studios. I was so tempted to hand Kerry my iPhone and ask him to take a photo, but I was too afraid to ruin the spontaneous moment. I let the photo go, but I remember the sensation of his warm hand in mine. I remember how cool I tried to act seconds later, like it was no big deal. I remember how at ease he was holding my hand, like it was the most natural thing in the world. I remember how I felt because he was the one that reached out to me. I could tell that it was completely instinctive, him just wanting to be close to me. And I melted.

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day xo