Raising Blair
1972

"Mommy! Mommy! Look! A butterfly!"

Naomi opened her eyes and glanced heavenward for patience before smiling at her three-year-old. "I see, Blair. She's very pretty." She closed her eyes again and resumed the lotus position.

"Mommy?" The boy plopped himself into his mother's lap. "What are you doing?"

Naomi opened her eyes again, taking in the angelic countenance of her son. With his big blue eyes, adorable smile, and dark blond curls, who would ever guess that he could be such a little demon? After a morning tantrum over breakfast - he wanted the Batman bowl, damn it! - and a serious disagreement over semantics - crash "No, no, sweetie, don't throw your cars." "Okay." Crash "BLAIR! I said DON'T throw your cars!" "I didn't throw it, I just tossed it." CRASH "Like that, see?" "Blair Sandburg! That was naughty! You give me those cars right now." "NO! Mine! NO! NO! MINE!" - Naomi decided it was definitely time for some serious negativity cleansing. So, she lit some sage in the sink and brought Blair outside to run around while she meditated. Or rather, while she tried to meditate.

"I'm having some quiet time, sweetheart. Why don't you go and play in the sandbox?"

"How come you hold your fingers that way?"

"It helps me meditate."

"What's meditate?"

A light bulb went off in Naomi's head. Hey, maybe this would work. "Oh, baby, it's something grownups do."

"Can I do it?"

Naomi frowned in thought. "Umm, maybe when you're a little bigger, sweetie."

"Mommy, please?"

Naomi sighed. "You really want to try it?"

"Yeah!" Blair nodded vigorously and his curls bounced wildly.

"Well…" Naomi pretended to think it over. "Okay." Naomi lifted him off her lap and set him down beside her. "Now, cross your legs like me. Uh huh, and hold your second finger under your thumb like this."

"Like this?"

"Not quite." Naomi laughed, and readjusted the little fingers. "There. Now put your wrists on your knees. And close your eyes and we're going to think of just one thing. Okay?"

"Okay. Can I think about puppies?"

"Anything you want, sweetie."

There was almost five seconds of silence before a small voice piped up. "What are you thinking about, Mommy?"

"Solitude," Naomi sighed.

"What's that?"

"Blair, we need to be quiet to meditate, okay?"

"Okay."

. . .

"Mommy, how did you know that butterfly was a girl butterfly?"

"Do you know what quiet means?"

"NO talking."

"That's right."

. . .

"Mommy, I hate this, it's like a nap. I'm gonna stop now, okay?"

"Yes, sweetie, why don't you go play in the sand box?"

"Okay." Blair scampered off.

Naomi closed her eyes and concentrated. "Om."

. . .

"Mommy, will you play with me?"

*SIGH*

**** ***** *****

Back to Raising Blair index