Where To Find Me.

We settled in at Monkey Business today.

Side note: That place is amazing. It is safe, creative, brilliantly fun, and abundantly worth the cost of admission. Whoever thought to combine a coffee shop (with free WiFi) and the best playland ever? An absolute genius. That's who. (Those same entrepreneurs could make a fortune if they combine Best Buy and Payless Shoes. I'm just sayin'. It's a fortune in the making, to let him peruse electronics while she shops for shoes.) I may need to carve my initials into a corner table at Monkey Business, so they'll know where to save my seat. I'm in. Me, and my monkeys.

My friend N and I chose our cafe table and declared home base before launching our collective four children into the jungle of fun.

I said, "Boys, this is right where Mommy will be. Do you see? Look at me. Tyler, look at me. Hey. Your eyes, here, please. Thank you. This is where Mommy will be. If you need me, I will be right here, at this table."

And he was off and running, following his brother who had taken off seconds before.

N, in her wisdom, said, "The truth is, if you hear him cry, you'll be right by his side. That's the thing, Tricia. It doesn't matter where you are; it matters where he falls. That's where you'll be."

So, so true. That's where I'll be. Every single time.

I don't want to overspiritualize (ever), but I'm pretty sure there are some great spiritual parallels tucked in there.

Perhaps I have invented my own home base for God, where I think I can leave him while I roam free, only to safely find him when I need him.

Or perhaps I act too quickly, without waiting for his full instructions. Maybe I think I can run from him, only to realize he's the first on the scene when I'm in over my head.

Or perhaps I could use a little less monkey business in my days.

Or perhaps a little more. Perhaps.

Maybe there are no parallels; maybe it was just some maternal wisdom, mom to mom. And there's a lot to be said for that.

Anyway, my kids know where to find me. And find me, they did. Again and again. Because there's something very, very safe about home base, even if you're just passing through.

I'm never far away.