Enjoying Today and Tomorrow

We decided that breastfeeding our son was the best decision we could make. Outside of the health benefits of breastfeeding, there is an unexpected benefit of time bonding with my little boy. It is a special time we have together. And, lately, when I look at him, I begin to think about so many things.

I think about the places he will go, the wonders we will show him in this world. I think about taking him to my favorite museums. I ponder camping, Disneyland and the beach. I get excited about traveling to our favorite places in the world - riding an elephant in Thailand, snorkeling in Hawaii, seeing the Sydney Opera House, eating gelato in Italy, meeting family in Switzerland, being in awe at the Louvre.

I think about the things he will do. I imagine his first finger painting or his first time strumming the strings of a guitar. I think about taking him to his first music concert. And, I daydream about all of the books he will read, discovering new worlds. I get giddy about sharing with him my favorite movies. My mind quickly jumps from things he will do as a young child to what he will do when he is a young man. I see him going to a university, pursuing his dream for a career that makes him happy and perhaps also makes this world a better place.

After all of this dreaming and thinking...I look down at his sweet two-week-old face and I pull myself back. My daydreaming is wonderful and it makes me look forward to the future with my son, but it is this day, this very second that I want to enjoy - the small smile on his face, the sigh he gives just before he falls asleep, the intense look his blue eyes give me as I talk to him.

It is a delicate balance, but I want to be a mom who looks to the future with anticipation, while also embracing every sweet moment right now. I want to enjoy today and tomorrow.