Twas the Night Before Parentmas: A Poem Honoring the Joy in Parenthood’s Small Moments

Twas the night before Parentmas and all through the house
at last sounds of sleep came from children and spouse.
There was laundry in piles and dishes to do.
Dust bunnies to vacuum, and dogs to brush, too.
Errands to run, and groceries to buy.
The weekend list of to-do’s was indeed rather high.
As Mom closed her eyes she fantasized of the fun
the family could have if the chores were all done.
She drifted asleep, and as one’s wont to do,
she dreamed, then awoke, but something seemed new.
The dishes were washed and put back on the shelves.
The children woke up, cleaned up, dressed themselves
with no fuss, no disasters, not a single loud fight.
Mom blinked and wondered just what had happened last night.
The floors were spotless. The bathrooms, too.
Throughout the home, there was no cleaning to do.
So, the family went out and enjoyed a nice meal.
They had kind conversation. It was kind of unreal.
After that they agreed on what to do then.
At the park they played tag again and again.
There was no complaining, no whines, not one fight.
They enjoyed the moment, found peace and delight.
By the end of the day, the children were tired,
and that joyful togetherness left Mom so inspired.
As she laid down her head at the end of that day,
the end of Parentmas, in her mind she replayed
scenes from the day, the touch of her spouse,
the children’s smiles, laughter filling her house.
These were the moments that made a life good.
These were the treasures of parenthood.
Though tomorrow there may once again be stress,
Parentmas helped her focus on all the ways she is blessed.

I imagined a sort of Christmas-like day but for a parent: a day free of things that had to be done and where people were in a positive mood to joyfully engage with one another.

Children have such joy around Christmas, and I similarly find some of that pure joy as a parent particularly on the weekends or other times when I have my daughter around for the entire day. From the time we wake up until she goes to bed, there can be an amazing day just being together, enjoying one another’s company, and reveling in the small moments that makes life seem so beautiful.

That meditation on joy allowed by these small moments is one of my favorite things about being a parent, and in that way, there are so many Parentmas days, much more than just the one day a year that Christmas brings. Yes, there are chores we have to do, arguments that can break out, and the normal stresses of life.

But, if we can bring into sharper focus even while we’re running errands the positive in that moment — how lovely it is to be singing silly songs, making goofy faces at each other, pretending we’re superheroes while pushing a shopping cart, etc. — we can capture happiness while doing the stuff that needs doing. Those moments make life wonderful.