Climb In, Buckle Up, and Adjust the Mirror

In the car every day (just about, and trying not to) and always glancing in the rear view mirror. It is a great frame for viewing our kids when they, for the most part, do not know we are watching and find a bit of the irony in the reverse quality of a mirror. The rear view mirror of a car also sets this direct eye-to-eye contact with us and whichever kid we are watching or is watching us. It is pretty powerful, and for the lack of a better word, intimate. We can see his/her whole face and they see only our eyes, it is always the eyes... so much communication through the eyes.

While driving one day watching and looking in our rear view mirror it hit us. Ya, ya, ya (and so fortunate!). We have 7 healthy wonderful, compassionate, empathetic, loving kids (who can fight like the best of them). And that is not what we are talking about. It hit us that we get to see them so "real" from this vantage point. Some are talking to each other about their day, what they want to do when we get to wherever we are going, some are fighting about the music, some are staring out the window and daydreaming who knows what. They laugh, yell, stare, sing, and play and all while we are taking them through life, around corners, faster, slower, stopping, starting, over the bumps and smooth surfaces. They are "buckled in" as best we can. These magical snapshots of real life are funny, sad, frustrating, inspiring, rewarding and thought provoking and worth sharing.

Today, we turned off the radio, no music, no "static" or distraction. The uproar was immediate! We wanted "quiet" or should we say we wanted "our" noise instead, and to do an experiment. What would just "our" noise sound like in the car. So, after they stopped with the "c'mom, Mom/Mo", they were quiet, just for about a minute or two, then the conversations started, about school, a joke, a made up song and laughter and more laughter. They started listening to each other, sharing with each other, planning for the next "stop" and laughing, giggling. It was contagious. I even caught a glimpse of my face in the rear view mirror. I was smiling too. This is a moment that makes their bonds stronger. They are connecting.