Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh!” he whispered. “Yes, Piglet?” “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. “I just wanted to be sure of you.” ~A.A. Milne
One of the deepest regrets of my life so far is that I never fully understood and appreciated my mom’s “paw,” right there for me to take and hold onto. She was there and I was sure of her, without being able to name or single out that feeling, it was there, the warm, loving paw… Never withheld for any reason, my mom’s love was something I had and though I loved her back, I have that tingle of “should’ve” gnawing at my soul.
I have a few people in my life I sidle up to and take their paws, just wanting to be sure of them. I am blessed that way you see. I take their paw not because I doubt them or their presence in any way, but to feel them, again and again. The reassurance feeling. My sister is one of those people. I had my moments of feeling afraid of grabbing her paw, afraid of letting my vulnerabilities, my dreams, my fears, my insecurities, my crazy happenings, out of the box for fear that she might not understand, for fear that she would judge me. She did not. They are out now, all those things that I was afraid to share. My sister’s paw stayed, warm and safe. I held on.
The people whose paws I grab every now and then, they know who they are and they know how appreciated they are. They also know that mine is theirs to grab. I’m still learning how to do it right. As much as I’m learning how not to judge and simply let them hold onto. I’m a relationship minimalist you see – more in another post… I keep the ones that enrich me or I can enrich. I will cultivate the ones that have the warm paw. I will respect the ones that float away because the paw ain’t fit for the hold or the other way around. It’s fair.
When I grow up I want to be like my mom. Have my boys take my paw to be sure of me and hopefully never live with the regret of not appreciating it enough. I want people I love and care about to have that too. I want them to be sure of me. Paws down. Never hold back.
Whose paw do you take and who can take yours?
litsa groumoutis
Daniela, you are such a beautiful writer.
I got goosebumps reading this. It is like you have this super power. A really deep
insight and ability to see what others miss……and if that was not enough, you put it into beautiful words that creates pictures in the mind of the reader.
I really look forward to buying your first book. ( A signed copy, of course)
Lits’
Daniela Ginta
Thank you Litsa, you’ve encouraged me so much along the way. I’ll shamelessly help myself to this one too :-). As many books as you’d like, when they come. signed 🙂