Monday, July 19, 2010

Daddy The Hero

Just returning home tonight from a quick trip to Edmonton yesterday, my son, being very over-tired, did not want to sleep. He didn't go to sleep last night until 11:00 p.m. and was up at 7:00 this morning. This is a boy who requires at least 10-11 hours of sleep per night, and even asks to go to bed when he's tired.

He called me to his room at 10:00 (he was in bed by 9:00).

"Mom, I'm lonely," he stated.

Hard-hearted (and extremely tired myself), I was not moved. I told him to go to sleep. Lest anyone think I am totally without compassion, this is a boy who on a daily basis wants me with him in every room of the house because he's lonely. He's the last one eating - EVERY DAY - so I leave him at the table (or I might as well set up a tent and camp, and get nothing done) - EVERY DAY. And EVERY DAY he tells me to come back because he's lonely. This is a boy who has a stay-at-home mom and is homeschooled on top of that and he's STILL LONELY.

I tell ya, this is a boy who has been lonely FOR YEARS.

In my hard state, I left him there.

So, he decided to let his dad (who was already in bed) know that he was lonely.

And his dad, who does not stay at home with him all day (because he supports his family like good dads do), and who does not do 99 percent of his schooling (because he supports his family like good dads do), and who NEVER has compassion at mealtime and is the first to leave the table (because he eats the fastest like good dads do), was moved by the pleas of his son. He told me he was going in to lay beside Seth for a little bit. I smiled secretly, glad that someone in this family had a heart, but feeling not-at-all guilty that it wasn't me.

I creep into Seth's room an hour later. If I could take my camera in to capture the kodak moment (and not wake either up), I would. In the small twin bed, daddy is laying on his side, while his son is laying not beside his daddy, but over top of his daddy (in an arc-shape). Fast asleep. Making double sure that daddy has no way of escape.

And my tired, hard-hearted self, is finally moved.

3 comments:

Rachel Goff said...

What a memory you now possess!! I have the same problem, but Kyzer isn't lonely; he needs to snuggle. "But, Momma, we didn't snuggle!!!!" when we did snuggle very nicely at nap time. They're only little once, and my heart is moved a lot more often than it probably should be.

Darla said...

Oh but Rachel, Seth needs to snuggle AND is lonely (I just conveniently left that out of the story). I honestly don't know sometimes what I am going to do because I can't snuggle him and be with him 24/7!

Anyway, tonight he was my snuggle worm, and I DO very much love it when he snuggles and "chats" at the same time. He tells me the most interesting things sometimes. I honestly could fill this blog daily with the interesting, funny, frustrating things he does.

I just hope all this lovey-dovey stuff translates into him being a warm, affectionate husband to some lucky woman.

Mrs. Wizzle said...

No, Darla, it means you will have him at home forever!!!!!! ha ha ha ha