Friday, October 8, 2010

Piles of Laundry

When I was young, my mom would tell me whenever she was unloading the dryer. She would let me lay on the floor and then she would pour the hot laundry all over me until I was buried in it. It was a hot cocoon of softness that smelled so perfectly fragrant and clean. if I had a time machine, those are memories I would return to and relive again and again. I always thought it was pure love on my mom's part, thinking to give me that experience and letting me burrow alone in the clothes until all the warmth faded away. It felt like a delicacy that I didn't have to share with anyone else. Well the clock just keeps ticking and now that I'm a mom I have found that it's even more rewarding wrapping your child up in happiness than it is to experience it for yourself. So whenever Topher is awake and the laundry is done, I'll take a hot towel or blanket and I'll wrap it around his body and say, "Snuggle snuggle snuggle." He will tuck his chin into the fabric and close his eyes and smile. Then he will let himself collapse on the floor and he'll rub his face on the material and say, "Night night." He loves it. And I love watching him love it even more than I used to love getting buried myself. It's a small thing, I know. But it's a moment in the day when I know that Topher knows that I love him, and that I would surround him with warmth and softness forever if I could. I don't care that the laundry ends up scattered all around and sometimes collects stray puppy hairs off the ground or dribbles of drool as Topher relishes in the same simple joy my mom gave me. Would you care if this smile was the result?
Thanks, mom. The happiness of warm laundry flows through the generations because of you.
And I didn't even lose any socks.
--KC

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for loving the odd things I did with you....and you are right...they were all filled with more love than you could even imagine....but now you know! Love you lots...mom

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  2. this is so cute Macie. :) there's nothing better than being comforted by warm clean clothes...mmmm. i love those pictures of Topher dumping the laundry and then laying on it, it's such a cute little series of photos.

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