"The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make... I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs [or memories]. There is one picture of [my children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the 'being' a little more and the 'getting it done' a little less"
Seems like every generation of mothers expresses this same sentiment in one way or another. We've all had those moments and days.
We're there, but we're not really there .... we're participating, but we're not engaged, other things have our attention and focus. But, when the 'moments' are gone, they're gone, never to be captured again.
Children take great delight in sharing with us the extraordinarily ordinary moments of their lives ... a walk in the neighborhood, building sand castles, reading a storybook together, listening to their tales, watching bugs, collecting rocks and leaves and other interesting objects.
If our lives are so busy with the 'daily doing' that we miss the 'being', we need to take a step back, take a deep breath and remind ourselves that this day will never return, all we will have is a memory..... or maybe not even that.
The key question becomes..... " How do I want to remember this day and how do I want my children to remember me in it?"
I hope my children cherish their memories of their mother as someone who took the time, created the space, enjoyed the moments, indulged in their simple pleasures and never missed an opportunity to just be with them, nurture them, teach them, explore with them, create with them, just talk to them about the extraordinary in the ordinary in their world.
Times goes by so quickly.... the highest calling we may have is the one that is the easiest to neglect..... and yet we often miss this point entirely.
Seems like every generation of mothers expresses this same sentiment in one way or another. We've all had those moments and days.
We're there, but we're not really there .... we're participating, but we're not engaged, other things have our attention and focus. But, when the 'moments' are gone, they're gone, never to be captured again.
Children take great delight in sharing with us the extraordinarily ordinary moments of their lives ... a walk in the neighborhood, building sand castles, reading a storybook together, listening to their tales, watching bugs, collecting rocks and leaves and other interesting objects.
If our lives are so busy with the 'daily doing' that we miss the 'being', we need to take a step back, take a deep breath and remind ourselves that this day will never return, all we will have is a memory..... or maybe not even that.
The key question becomes..... " How do I want to remember this day and how do I want my children to remember me in it?"
I hope my children cherish their memories of their mother as someone who took the time, created the space, enjoyed the moments, indulged in their simple pleasures and never missed an opportunity to just be with them, nurture them, teach them, explore with them, create with them, just talk to them about the extraordinary in the ordinary in their world.
Times goes by so quickly.... the highest calling we may have is the one that is the easiest to neglect..... and yet we often miss this point entirely.
Yielding all I know about me to all I know about Him
No comments:
Post a Comment