It was sweltering hot. It was morbidly humid.

I was exhausted. I was sticky. I was stressed. Above all, I was feeling very high strung. 

It was just one of those days where after surviving yet another night of Squirt’s frequent night wakings, things went a little more than awry than usual as I go about my day of sending and picking Spud up from school, getting to a work-out session of Pilates, doing some cooking for dinner, trying to get through Spud’s after-naps temper tantrums as well as battling Squirt’s nap issues in trying to get him to sleep in his own bed during the day. It was the day when everything went wrong.

By 4pm, I was spent.  I was due for a much needed shower. I was extremely high strung and impatient.

As I made my way to my room, a 2-year old Spud then came up to me with one of her little books, and went, “Mama read. Mama read.” She was repeating this over and over and over again and it was driving me nuts. 

In my head, I wanted to scream “not now” and tell her to go away. Feeling the way I did but didn’t see the need to over-react, I looked at her wearily and told her with my really exhausted voice that, yes, I will read it to her, but now I want to have my shower first and she has to wait. 

Spud then lowered her head down, and looked away and without saying anything, turned away and took the book with her.

My heart tugged that instance. What was I thinking – surely I have 5 minutes to read her ONE book before I go for my shower! 

Regretting my earlier response to her, I then eagerly called her back and told her that I’ll read her her books. In fact, I have time to read her a couple of books. My shower can wait! Her face lit up.  And, just as quickly, she looked like she had just grown springs on her feet; she leapt and ran up to her piles of books and fished out a couple for me. 

I sat down and with her enthusiastically plonked her butt on my lap, began reading the 5-page books to her one by one.

It was 5 minutes of joyous bonding moment I could have ever asked for. I’m glad I caught myself in time and was able to remedy it there and then. 

And, really, all she did was asked me to read her a book. It was not much to ask for. It certainly was more important that my shower.

I’m glad I did what I did and it certainly is a reminder to myself that whatever it is from now on, I will always make time for my kids. Sometimes, showers and everything else can wait. 

And, regardless of how I am feeling at a particular moment, I shall always have 5 minutes to read her a book…for, there will come a time when she doesn’t need me to read her anything anymore.