Cherished moments

There are moments. Moments of gentle sweetness--almost achingly dear--on this journey with Ian. I treasure these moments and tuck them away in the deepest part of my heart to strengthen me during the harder times. They add to the fuel of love and help keep us sane and keep us strong. I had such a moment yesterday.

I was sitting on the couch reading and had one of Ian's movies playing as usual on the T.V. Ian was wandering about, practicing his pterodactyl noise and occasionally checking in on his movie from time to time. Eventually he gravitated toward where I was sitting and stood in front of me davening back and forth while looking me in the eyes. I smiled at him and said "Do you want to sit with me?" He bounced over on the couch next to me, still holding my gaze and smiling. It appeared as though he was trying to ask for something. John and I have become quite adept at interpreting his various movements, gestures, and vocalizations, and I could tell there was something else he wanted from me. I asked "Do you want to lay your head in my lap?" I put a pillow on my lap and he immediately plonked his head down giggling. He stretched out his 5'10" frame and settled himself comfortably on the couch with his head in my lap and his eyes on the T.V. I spent the next 15 minutes or so stroking his hair and face and rubbing his back. Ian had a grin on his face the whole time.

These moments do not last very long, and he was soon up and about and yodeling at the top of his lungs and trying to bite the legs off the sheep in my nativity scene, but those few moments of quiet communion on the couch held me all evening, and those behaviors of Ian's didn't seem so stressful.

Love really is amazing.