Looking through old blog drafts, I found this one from when Maile was ten. Was that really almost six years ago? Wow! Hard to believe. 

I love spending time with my kids. Maile and I go to coffee shops and work together. Skye and I lie in bed a read together. Cruz and I snuggle-up and watch movies. 

Here it is: 

Stay with me 10 minutes

When you don’t have any words but still just want to be together, stay with me 10 minutes.

When you are feeling sad and mad, and we don’t have any words, can I just stay with you?

We don’t have anything to do, but we just want to be. Let’s stay together 10 minutes.

We don’t need words or anything to do. Stay with me 10 minutes.

Sometimes, when my children are having a hard time (or if my 10.5 year old is mad and upset about something), I can’t find any words that would help. There are times when I’m not sure how to speak reason or wisdom into their lives. Sometimes, I don’t know how to cheer them up or comfort them, so I just stay with them. Hold them. Not say anything, but just try to be there.

I want to be there, not as a judge, teacher, corrector. I just want to be there, tangibly.

I think it’s made all the difference.