So often we try to think in terms of how this moment fits into my working day world and the answer, no matter how hard we push that square peg at the round hole is that it doesn’t belong there.

I’m a full time Grandmother, work from home, still have kids at home, and two of my grandchildren live with me right now. (Yes, their Momma lives here too.) On rare occasions, I keep the kids while their Mom is not working, and last night was one of those occasions. My grandson was sound asleep when his Mom left to go have breakfast with a friend.

Colm

He woke up about the time I went to bed and I noticed him in the hall way, looking down the stairs. “Ma.” His tiny voice whispered into the dark.

There was no answer. He pushed my door open a bit further and pointed.

I said, “Mom isn’t here right now. Do you want to come in here?”

He didn’t really, but he finally came in and crawled into my arms. Tears started when I turned off the lights and I pointed out the window at the stars drifting across the sky. Lights from distant houses glittered in the darkness. The glow of Denver lit up the sky. He snuggled in for some soft whispered tunes and we ‘ickle, icled’ for a little while too.

I don’t know what time my daughter came home, but I would assume she thought he was in bed sound asleep. We were quietly having a conversation in the night, under the stars, about whatever it is two year old little boys and Grandma’s talk about in the wee hours.

Eventually, he wrapped his arms around my arm and rested the side of his face in the palm of my hand and drifted off to sleep. As I brushed strands of hair away from his face and watched him peacefully sleep, debating whether to take him back to his bed or just go to sleep, I realized the sun was brightening the sky in the east and it was going to be an amazing sunrise.

I missed it.

Instead… I captured the moment that lasted late into the night until just before that glorious dawning.

Colm. I love you.

Yes, this moment will ultimately effect my working life, because I know the joy of spending time with my grandchildren.