Happy Family Time With Our Sleeping Mom - Adira...

. It’s the kind of "small" memory that ends up being a favorite. Are you looking to a photo of this moment, or perhaps find a way to her with something nice when she wakes up?

In the center of the room, Adira lay curled up on the oversized sectional. She was the anchor of the family, usually the one orchestrating the chaos, but today, the quiet lull of the weekend had finally won. She was fast asleep, a book resting precariously on her chest, rising and falling with the steady rhythm of her breath. Happy family time with our sleeping mom - Adira...

And she was right. It was the happiest kind of family time—the kind that recharges your soul. In the center of the room, Adira lay

It begins with a hush. The television volume dips from a blare to a whisper. The clatter of video game controllers ceases. Someone—usually the eldest, acting on an unspoken cue—drapes a knitted blanket over her legs. We do not wake her. We protect her sleep as fiercely as she protects us when she is awake. This is our silent gift back to the woman who gives us everything. And she was right

Without the TV or loud music, we noticed the small things—the way the shadows moved across the room and the soft purr of the cat curled up at Adira’s side.

By Saturday night, the exhaustion had finally caught up with her. During a family movie marathon, while the kids were debating which superhero was stronger, Adira’s breathing became slow and rhythmic. Her head tilted gently against the armrest of the oversized couch. Her hand, still loosely holding the TV remote, went limp.

You might ask: Isn't it sad that Mom is sleeping? Isn't family time supposed to be energetic?