musings of a belly button

Honestly, I have never really given belly buttons much thought.  Oh, I did think about if I had an inny or an outy and how attractive or unattractive they were.  In my 30's as a celebration of a new found life I got mine pierced.   (It was that or a tattoo ... and I couldn't decided what to get where ...) but other than those thoughts nothing.

Until today.  I am feeling a little emotional today, hormones I guess.  I was changing my youngest's diaper & there it was.  Her belly button.  The place where she & I were attached, literally, for 40 weeks (or in her case 39 1/2).  I almost started to cry as I looked at this little girl and felt a bond to her that I haven't felt since I first held her in my arms.  I was getting the kids ready to take the oldest to school so was dressing and changing them all.  Throughout this time, I saw all of their belly buttons.  They all look different.  They were all attached to ME.  I don't think my girls look like me.  People say they see me in them, but their skin is a beautiful brown that I could only dream of.  Their eyes are dark brown, mine are light green.  Our features are different too.  There are kids who you look at and you say, yeah, that's a mini mom or dad.  I don't have that.  I am asked if they are mine.  I don't mind that, I am in no way offended.  But here it was this morning ... a reminder that no matter what life throws at us, we were connected in a very special way and always will be.

I then looked at my belly button & thought of my mom.  Another tear came to my eye.  The bond is a little stronger after today.