I love Cheetos. So do my kids. Not sure if it’s a genetics thing, or Cheetos are just THAT good.
I’m in awe of how quickly they devour them. And how despite the fact that you only need one hand to eat them, that cheese powder is clinging to all ten fingers when they’re done.
As I watch my 2-year old…yes, I let him eat Cheetos now and then. Seriously, you need to see his joyous grin and hear his giggle when I give him this treat. It’s this low chuckle like an evil scientist plotting taking over the world. He should rub his hands together and throw his head back just to match the image with the sound. It’s the funniest thing – you would give him Cheetos, too, just to hear it. Trust me.
Anyway, he stuffs his cheeks two halves at a time, licks each finger, and dives in the bag for more. Here’s what I imagine he’s thinking.
- [Mmmm, Cheetos are yummy.]
- [Hey, my fingers are orange.]
- [Oh, that’s cheese, too. I better lick that.]
- [Wait. There are more in the bag.]
- [Mmmm, I love Cheetos.]
I am in total agreement with him. Except the licking part. I’ve managed to keep my cheese-finger coverage to a minimum because I stuff them in my mouth whole. 🙂
BTW – If anyone who works for FritoLay ends up reading this, I have a question. Why did the Cheetos Puffs get BIGGER? They used to be the perfect pop-in-your-mouth size. Never did I think to myself, Gee, these should be bigger so I can feel like an even bigger PIG trying to stuff them in my mouth. If I were honest, they are a little too big. I really have to cram them in. Come on, FritoLay. Don’t you realize I’d pop them in my mouth faster and probably eat more if they were smaller? Well…at least you don’t wrap them individually, like my other love, Dove chocolates. I’d devour more of those if I didn’t have to unwrap each one (probably a good thing).
Now, when my little one has finished his helping and comes at me with those ten cheese-lovin digits, I balk. “Stop! You have Cheeto fingers!” I say.
He has a face of bewilderment. But is patient as I use a diaper wipe on his pudgy hands (hey, those things are good for more than just butts).
He’s not thinking about his fingers. Or the couch arm he just touched as he does a quick jump in the air from his cheese dust high. Or my pants leg as he reaches up to whisper in my ear, “I love you, Mama.” (I just gave him Cheetos after all.)
He is simply in a moment of joy. This moment. Right now.
In the past, I know I’ve grown frustrated about those cheesy fingers. Wondering if I should try cleaning my pants or just give up and throw them in the wash. I’m sure I’ve shown this irritation to him.
Who am I to ruin his simple joy by getting flustered over his fingers? And, God forbid, causing him to think he’s doing something wrong? After all, I gave him the Cheetos.
I want to be more like him. Less uptight about things like this. To be in the moment. To savor the joy before thinking about what’s next. Forget the “what ifs.” No predicting what might come.
Do you remember the biblical story of Martha and Mary? Martha was uptight about taking care of their guests, while Mary simply sat down to enjoy the teachings from Jesus.
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered,
“you are worried and upset about
many things, but few things are
needed. Mary has chosen what is better,
and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42
Now, my cheesy situation is not exactly similar. Jesus wasn’t talking about Mary enjoying her favorite treat – like Cheetos. But this scripture gives a lesson about Martha’s distractions and forgetting what’s important at the moment. I see this in other areas of my life, too.
When I get home from work, my little guy routinely grabs my neck, and says, “I missed you Mama. Let’s play ball.”
I acknowledge and respond, “I missed you, too. I love you.” But then my brain immediately runs a tally of what’s next. What to do for dinner. The mortgage payment I need to make that night. Starting a load of laundry because I’m wearing my last clean bra.
He hasn’t seen me all day. Why can’t I stop and spend 15 minutes asking about his day and tossing the baseball to him?
Because I have things to do. It’s my job to keep things moving in this home. It never ends.
But that’s the point. It never ends. It never will.
But this WILL end. This sweet, innocent, toddler stage. I need to soak it in.
So is it really my job to always tackle the list? Or is my job to be in his world right now?
Another blogger, Hands Free Mama, hit me in the forehead with an incredibly perceptive statement. BTW – If you haven’t read her, she’s fantastic!
She reminded her readers that, You can’t kiss a moving target.
Woah! That’s me! I’m on hyperdrive. How are my kids ever going to connect with me? (Not to mention, my hubby.)
So I need to make an effort to stop more, be present in the now, not get irritated by messes I’ll have to clean up later, not take away from their enjoyment by nagging at them to eat over their plates. Just enjoy their joy…because they Grow. So. Fast.
Hopefully I can learn to love Cheeto fingers, too. Granted, I’m still popping them in my mouth whole to avoid my own cheesy mess, but I don’t need to worry about his so much.
His joy is something to be savored…just like the Cheetos!
YOUR joy is something to be savored. Take the time to enjoy the joy.
Darn this post. Now I’m hungry for Cheetos. And I may top it off with some chocolate. What’s for dinner? 🙂
Heart Monitor: Ups and downs this week. Friday was great! Today not so good – trying to clean the house always gets me (ugh)!
If you enjoyed this post, please share it. You might also like:
Butterfly Heart 