The Slightest Smile

As I wander through life, sometimes I feel so confused. So lost. As if I don’t even know the questions, much less have the answers.

And then I look into my son’s face as he drifts off to sleep. In the soft glow of the night light, his toddler features are small and perfectly even, his skin impossibly smooth. His eyelids droop lower and lower until they close, in a motion that is too slow for film but exactly right for real life. His lips curve in the slightest smile.

And I think: this. This is the meaning of life.

What is your meaning of life?

9 thoughts on “The Slightest Smile

  1. That was beautiful, P.H.
    I just saw Act of Valor last weekend and they quote Tecumseh. The following part stuck with me so I printed it out and have it at my desk.
    “So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.”

    1. Carlene, I love that quote! But how does one live her life in such a way? You’ll have to let me know if you have any ideas.

  2. Beautiful post, P.H.! I don’t have a meaning of life just yet but I’m working on it.

  3. Okay, so you’re all going to think this is crazy, but I readily cop to my craziness…
    My song for my kids is Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” If I’m in a cranky mood and snappish with my kids, and this song comes on the radio, I stop in my tracks and listen. And remember. I remember all the times I watched them sleep in “sweet surrender” and stop stressing about the little things. Because compared to anything else, being the best mom I can be is the meaning of my life.
    Thanks for the gentle reminder, Pintip. Cherish those moments with your kids, and put everything else exactly where it needs to be. BEHIND them. But, it sounds like you’ve found that meaning in a simple act.
    Now, go read the lyrics to Aerosmith’s song. LOL.

    http://www.lyricsfreak.com/a/aerosmith/i+dont+want+to+miss+a+thing_20004490.html

    1. Kim, I don’t think you’re crazy at all. And thanks so much for sending me to those song lyrics. I love song lyrics in general, and those in particular really spoke to me today. You are such a great mom — it is an inspiration to me. That’s the meaning of my life, too. Doing my very best for my children, even though I may sometimes come up short.

  4. Wow! Great post P.H. !
    I think about all the things I could have done . . . but it’s knowing I have two wonderful daughters that make my life complete. (They feed my craziness and my wacky sense of humor . . . gotta love it!) 🙂

    Raising my cup of Vanilla Bean latte to our ‘meanings of life’. 😉

    P.S. Thanks Kimberly for the lyrics and Carlene–what a great quote! I’m stealing that!!

  5. Loni, I absolutely agree. There are so many things that I want, but at the end of my life, there are only a few things that will really matter. And they all involve the people in my life.
    Here’s my cup of Vanilla Bean, toasting yours!

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