Cuddles are the miraculous cure-all for what ails. They fix scraped knees, scary dreams, sore tummies, harsh words, broken toys and with older children – when they still accept our arms around them – broken hearts. There are sleepy cuddles, trying-to-wake-up cuddles, TV – watching, book-reading and music listening cuddles and the run and jump variety at the end of a school, pre-school, day care or babysitting day when mom has returned for her little trooper.
Cuddles are a magical form of communication in the early years. We hope our love, desires, hopes, and dreams for our children seep through our arms and into their souls. As the family gets older moms use other forms of communication…chats on the way home from school and soccer, family talks at the dinner table, good night visits at bed-time, probably coupled with some yelling, scolding, punishing and exasperation. Sometimes the message is lost, the communication ignored, the love and concern too deeply hidden in the fear of moms that their children are slipping away and the knowledge of children that their moms are human too. Cuddles can still cure but are not always welcome. The drop-off kiss gets dropped right along with bedtime stories and supervised baths.
But a mom’s arms never stop tingling, never stop hugging, never stop searching to send the messages that may not be heard and are not as comfortable to say. The cuddles are not as aggressive, but they are still there, waiting for momma’s babies, no matter how old they get, to walk in, curl up and remember they are loved.