Swimming Upstream

Some can relate when I say that the times during motherhood that you feel like you've actually done (or are doing) something right come few and far between. Last night, I experienced one of those priceless sought-after moments. While lamp shopping, of all places. We were browsing the store for bedside lamps for our bedroom. You would think this would be an easy task (I'll elaborate more on that episode later). While Ty and I were heatedly discussing which overpriced lamps we weren't going to buy, Emma was mother hen-ing Tommy trying to keep him in close proximity. I constantly have to remind her that I'm the mommy but sometimes it's nice that she takes charge. She would say 'No Tommy, we look with our eyes, not with our hands.' Your 4 year old saying something this bright is enough to make a mom proud but I was absolutely astonished at what she said next. Out of the clear blue sky she blurted 'Mommy, I'm so lucky! I love my family!'. I thought my heart would burst. By golly she gets it! She understands that family is important and she is happy and satisfied with what she's got. More than anything else, I want her to understand that everything is replaceable except family. And, here I am, thinking that it'll take years of swimming upstream against the media. Trying to counteract the things that are dangled in front of their faces like carrots on a string by the companies that market to children. From Barbie and The Diamond Castle to the scantily clad Bratz dolls (see Ty's LJ entry on aforementioned dolls). She gets it. I've got plenty more swimming to do. Right now I'm only working against the rugged rapids of television. In a few years, I'll have the hungry bears of peer pressure to deal with. But at least for now I feel like I'm swimming up the right stream.

More on the lamp shopping saga later...