A Call to Snuggle

Men of the world, I challenge you to snuggle with a loved one at least once a day. I promise you that it will make your day better for I have successfully tested that theory this very night. Come and read with me as I tell you what I mean.

I put my children to bed about 30 minutes before I started to write this post. Actually, I started the process of putting them to bed. (Some nights it drags on and on. Tonight has been one of those nights.) It seems lately the my youngest daughter is very much in Daddy mode. That is more than all right with me. Considering the fact that she did not want much to do with me when she was a baby, I am loving this. One of the results of her recent gravitation towards me is a request that I lay in bed with her before she goes to sleep. I know that many of you parents are thinking that this is a bad idea, and that she will never learn to go to sleep by herself. Not true. The same thing happened with my oldest daughter and she falls asleep on her own now. But, that is a discussion for another day.

Anyhow, Jillian really likes it when I lay down with her. Besides, how can I resist when she asks like this: "You sleep with me? For just a minute Daddy?" It is a win-win situation. All of my children can curl themselves into the tightest ball. Jillian is the best at it though. She burrows into my chest so tightly that it is as if she becomes part of me. I lay there for a minute, kiss her good night, and down the stairs I go. She is satisfied and I am filled with a daughter's love for her Daddy.

It is kind of ironic. My son woke up crying while I was drafting this post. Coilin almost never wakes up after I lay him down.  He must have known what I was writing about and wanted his share of snuggle-time. And, that is all he needed tonight. Coilin was crying, and I went into his room. I checked his diaper. It was dry; so, I just held him for a few minutes. He grabbed onto my hand while I was holding him. That gets me every time. Against my will, I laid him back down, and have not heard a peep since.

I will not get into details about how I snuggle with my wife. But I will say this, the best snuggle time is early in the morning when the house is cold and most of the covers have fallen off of the bed. You know that time before Mr. Sun begins to wake the earth from her slumber, when all that you have to keep you warm is a thin sheet. That is when I pull my wife close and warm up the both of us. That is an excellent way to start a day.

In fact, the perfect snuggle day would start with me snuggling with my wife and end with snuggle time with my children. Today, I ended the day perfectly and I have to say thank you to all three of my little ones tonight. It was a rough day at work and the time we spent together, made it all better. Men of the world I tell you in closing to pull that special someone close to you tonight and relish in their love and affection.