If you were to ask our six-month old what she thought about her crib, I think she would say she tolerates it. She does like being able to see through the sides of the crib and she does like having space to roll over onto her stomach, which is currently her favorite sleeping position. But if she had to choose, she much prefers sleeping in contact with someone she loves.
As I pour another cup of coffee from yet another interrupted night of sleep, I think about how we never quite stray from that need for contact, especially during changing routines. In the midst of change, we need the reassurance that we aren’t alone. We need to know that someone else is close by if we need something in the middle of the night. We need community.
When independence and individualism is so highly valued in our culture, it is easy to think asking for helping or seeking comfort is weak. While it is vulnerable, it isn’t weak to seek out connection. Connection to each other and connection to the Divine is what reminds us that we are not alone and that we are a part of something bigger here on earth. Perhaps changing routines is exactly what we need to remind us that we can’t do life without each other.