Lullaby

Her father sits her down in his lap. It’s been a long day of climbing on top of things best not climbed on, of scattered toys and of soapy bubbles. The bath has been given, the bottle consumed. And the music begins. It’s a familiar tune, her father has sung to her many times before. Tonight it holds new meaning. “Goodnight my angel-- time to close your eyes and save these questions for another day.” Maia has begun to ask her parents new questions. Or one specific question… to be more exact. She raises her pointed finger in triumphant curiosity both at no particular object in front of her and at every single object in front of her. “ish?”, she asks, or “whas adt?” and “atch”; which, translated means, “this?”, “what’s that?” and “that?”.

As her father recalls the shared laughter from their before bed-time play, he continues the serenade. “Remember all the songs you sang for me, when we went sailing on an emerald bay?” While she does not yet sing, she has no trouble dancing. In fact, she will upon command. Her dancing once consisted of a knee squatting up and down motion, and then it was simply arms outstretched, pumping in the air… ghetto style. Now her dancing is much more lady like—she grasps her hands in front of her chest and swings them gracefully from side-to-side. The song continues, “And like a boat out on the ocean, I’m rocking you to sleep…” As the daddy rocks the little girl, nearly one year old already, she leans her back against her father’s chest. Sleep approaches quickly.

Now a new lullaby begins. This one by George Winston. Seated in his lap, she begins to dance. Then the father stands, daughter in his arms, and they dance together. As they twirl about the girl’s room, his gaze fixed on her; he realizes that it is really the room that moves while they remain stationary. And so, with the final waltzes concluding, the dance comes to an end, the day concluded with it. For now, it is time for rest. Time for her little teddy, Slim, and for dreams of a brand new day filled with more toys, more bubbles and more dancing.