My Cookie and Milk Moment

Ever had one of those moments at the end of a long hard day when you feel totally drained and “out of it”? A day when you’ve had a long work day that started at 5:30 a.m. and ended at 9:00 p.m., and then came home to get your child ready for school the next day?  A day when you’ve had to deal with relatives of the X who brings nothing but strife and stress, and you are completely drained that you just want to escape into the land of NOTHINGNESS – where everything is peaceful and quiet?  Well, I have!! In fact, I have had many of these.

When this happens, I usually retreat to that special seat in my apartment and sip on an ice cold glass of milk with a pack of my favorite cookies. For me, this is my safe haven – this is my cookie and milk moment; a moment that belongs to me, and no one else is invited to partake.

This heavenly moment does not happen until I have ensured that my daughter is securely tucked in, and is in very deep slumber, because honestly, I DO NOT WANT TO BE DISTURBED – I do not want to hear the voice of a child – NOT EVEN MY OWN!

I was having a discussion with my best friend, who has four children and a wife, and he informed me that the “Cookie and milk” moment is not practical and not possible, once you have a family.  Of course, in my world, I can’t imagine not being able to go through life without a moment to myself – a moment that belongs to me – a moment when I am left alone with my thoughts about NOTHING and my favorite snack – my “Cookie and milk moment”.

For me, the idea of the cookie and milk moment means that moment in your day when you take a break from everyone just so you can be with you.  It is that moment when you stop the madness and you do something for you that you enjoy.  It doesn’t have to be something as elaborate as going to the spa and getting a massage, a manicure or a pedicure.  It can be as simple as putting the kid(s) off, turning off your cell phones, and watching your favorite movie while you sip on your favorite hot drink and think about NOTHING!  While it would be great for your moment to last as long as two hours, this may not be your reality.   If all your life allows you are fifteen minutes – let that time count!

The cookie and milk moment doesn’t work unless you do it by yourself and for yourself.  The movie, Love Jones, is one of my favorite movies of all time; so from time to time, when baby girl is out cold, I put in that DVD and just watch the movie (for the 1000^th) time.  I free my mind of everything that made my day crazy and I think about nothing other than the characters in the movie.  During this alone time, I grab my ice cold glass of milk with my “police buttons” (cookie) and I indulge WITHOUT APOLOGY.

The benefits of the cookie and milk moments are obvious, as far as I am concerned.  This moment, helps you to breathe, especially in those times when day appeared harder than the others, and prepares you for the next day. The trick to making the moment yours – really yours – is not using this moment to think about the bills or the empty bank account.  The moment should be used to embrace yourself – to love on you – to appreciate you – to think on nothing – to just free your mind and be THANKFUL!

Your cookie and milk can be anything that you like snacking on – that favorite snack that takes you back to your childhood – the time in your life when you were carefree.  For those of you whose childhood was not so wonderful, your cookie and milk can be something that you  discovered in your adult life that you love to snack on – that snack that you don’t necessarily like to share (wink wink).

If you have never had a moment to yourself, try it to day.  Everyone deserves a cookie and milk moment of their own.  Your kids will be happy in the morning, when you have awakened nice and renewed – mind, body and soul.  What is your cookie and milk moment – make time for it today.  You will be happy you did!

Peace be with you as we strive to uncover and confront the truth about parenting.

Blessings!