Last night it was my turn to put girls to bed. Jon and I usually split up bedtime duties. One of us puts Noble down and the other is in charge of getting the girls down.
The girls had played hard and were filthy so I made them take baths or showers. I helped Sabrina and Lauren wash, rinse, and condition their hair in the bath. Annie took a shower and was the first out. I combed through her hair and started drying it.
Meanwhile I was getting Lauren out of the tub and instructing Sabrina to wash her body so she could get out as well. It is tiring bathing the girls.
As I was blowing Annie's hair I wondered when my kids would ever be doing this chore by themselves. "Someday my kids will blow their own hair dry," I thought to reassure myself. "And I won't have to anymore."
I remembered how often my mother would blow my hair dry as a girl so that I wouldn't go to bed with a wet head. Sometimes, even when I was older, if I was really tired or sick she would still blow my hair dry for me. It was so comforting to have her fingers running through my hair, the warm air of the hair dryer blowing on my cold wet back.
"Someday my kids will blow their own hair dry," I thought with a tinge of sadness. "And I won't get to anymore."
The ache in my back melted away and I was glad to have my fingers in the cold wet hair of my little Ann. Someday she and her sisters will be grown and won't need or want me to do their hair anymore. So I will treasure the task till then.
