pedicure heaven

It was not until today, approximately two hours ago, that I felt the pure, gentle, midas touch of the pedicure/manicure delight that one should feel when you receive such a service. In my short life I have gotten many pedicures, and even more manicures  mostly due to the fact that I worked at an upscale nail spa for seven months and free manicures were a friend away... and those friends are very obsessed about your fingernails. So you get them done about once a week. My cuticles were in nail heaven. Now, they are not. And I haven't missed it much, until today.

As I was being soaked, massaged, touched, primped, nails clipped, defined, toweled, I was impossibly relaxed. It was as if someone had taken me from a tensed up place and had physically forced me into a place of comfort, in this case, this comfort was a big black chair with a remote control connected that rubbed my back and a basin of hot water that bubbled and a nice woman who was there just to tenderly take a look at these feet of mine and make them look and feel a little bit better. Submitting into a state of near meditation, my pedicure nearing its completion as she put the second coat of "Chicago get a Manicure" on my toes, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving. This is when I picked out a nail color, and walked on over to sit in another comfy chair and have my hands played with, too. I just couldn't resist. Sometimes God is in the funniest places, and he was most certainly there with me and my bubbly finger-water.

Being a nanny for the summer is the reason this experience was so intensified and incredible.  After having children climb on, bite, lick, punch, hug, smack, slobber, spit, hang, and use you as their own personal jungle gym, pillow, lazy boy and punching bag all in one, I have realized that mother's must give up the right to their own bodies completely. Whether it's one child or five you've got running around, you're going to get dirty. You're also going to get kisses and hugs with sometimes extreme force behind them, even when you don't want them, but when you do, and you're both laughing on the floor, it's all worth it, in the end.

When I walked into Magnifique Nails and sat down, and that petite dear woman came and sat at my feet and took them in her hands, like it is her job to do each and every day to us over-privileged recipients, and she didn't climb into my lap or stick her tongue out at me, well, I think I fell in love with her a little. I tipped her tremendously, I must say, and feel compelled to stop in next week with a bouquet of fresh flowers. It will probably be many, many more months before I get another pedicure. Savoring this one will last and last. And my last few days with my summer child are upon me, and I'll miss him and all his arms and legs and hair and feet.