It's a Small(er) World

I can spend weeks in my little stretch of California, never straying more than thirty miles.  Work demands and horrible traffic are often at fault, but there's more to the story.  I realize that my world, in general, has gotten much smaller since my son was born.

We actually got out of California a couple of weekends ago to attend a friend's wedding.  As my husband and I guided and entertained our toddler on the beach in Hawaii, my small world came into sharp focus.

This used to be my view of the world.

I saw landscapes and skylines. I saw a wide world around me. In the last nineteen months, that view has shifted, for better or worse.  This is my view now.

Friends may criticize (actually, few have, thankfully) that my life now revolves around my son.  It's true, though.  I now look inwards. I look at my son's smile, hear his giggle, watch his little feet take new steps.  Others may have gotten ignored in the process. I know that I wasn't the strongest support system for my mom while she battled breast cancer this past year, but with the change in visual perspective has come a shift in priorities. Like I said, for better or worse, things have changed.

Sometimes I miss my larger perspective, my ability to be everything for everyone.

Then, I see this face, this look of wonder, this young boy exploring the world around him.

And I have to stop everything and explore this smaller world with him.