I’ve really enjoyed this day so far since deciding upon waking that I was going to “be here now.” I am usually rushing around preparing for the next activity or taking photos or doing other things than being in the moment. It is unnecessarily stressful. Today, my daughter woke up at 7:00 and I let her take the lead.
First she did some arts and crafts and I had a lovely cup of coffee, read a little bit of a magazine, and just watched her create. Then she wanted to finger paint, which does make a mess, but I went along with it and it wasn’t so bad. I noticed afterwards that I was barely keeping up with her… she’d dump water on the floor and I was still cleaning that up when she was on to using markers on her dishes… so we slowed down. We went upstairs to play and I didn’t rush her to get dressed. She “read” some books to me and led us in some very imaginative pretend play involving an airplane trip. We spent the last two hours before naptime at our neighborhood’s lake, watching the ducks, playing with sticks, and looking for dogs. It was quite enjoyable. I didn’t check my phone. I didn’t take out my camera. Well, ok… a few pictures. She’s just so adorable!
I feel that time is wooshing past and I want to slow it and savor these days. The weather is nice, our health is good, we are happy… let’s enjoy it! The last week has brought amazing images that are still in my mind: my little girl in a tutu with her arms above her head, dancing to her own rhythm; her intently drawing and stamping and stickering to her heart’s content; the cats following my daughter around the house since she has treats in her hands. She is beautiful and willful and sweet and creative and I could not love her more.
Your points about slowing down are ones that an individual can apply to their life even if they don’t have children. For many years I lived in a very stressed, fast paced, stop smelling the roses life. It was not until someone like you Naomi told me of something I once told them many years ago, and that was that life will one day pass you by and you will have no pictures taken because you were to busy running to get to your next task. October 4, 2010 I changed all that and took my life back. I LOVE walking now and taking lots of mental pictures. 🙂
Great post, really resonated with the hard work it takes to just slow down and follow where our children guide us.
Thanks! I didn’t know you had a blog too. Can I have an invitation to read it?
You are so right to want to slow down. I remember when I realized that there is only one summer when my son is 5. It hit me like a tonne of bricks as I understood that next summer he would be different, as I would I and I needed to savour 5……thanks for sharing. It is so hard to slow down but so important and often what we need.
Tanya, that’s such a great way of looking at it! I never really thought “she’s only going to be this age right now and I better soak it all in.” That makes it all the more precious. Thanks for reminding me. 🙂