Is That Really in My Pocket?
I was having a rushed day. Moving fast. I was unable to take a break from making smoothie, making breakfast, cleaning up breakfast (did it really only take 5 minutes to eat all that?!), changing diapers, making 5 sectioned bento lunches, getting kids dressed, oh and yea, I should probably run to the bathroom and brush my teeth before I run out the door.
This particular morning, my older 4 year old son Ollie, kept asking “Mommy, can you please play with me?” “Oh baby, I would love to play with you but when daddy’s traveling, I have more things to do around the house before I take you to school. I just can't right now.” He pleaded with me and I was able to redirect him with some fun music and a solo dance party but I still felt bad. I so badly wanted to get on the floor and play pretend with Snoopy and Charlie Brown but today wasn’t the day.
And he understood, he was okay. Part of me was sad he understood… it shows how quickly he is growing up. But ultimately, that IS how we grow. Later in the morning when he was at school and I was working, I reached in my pocket and found a sweet little surprise from him. A heart shaped rock that Ollie had found and put in my pocket without me knowing. Who knows when he put it in my pocket. It could have been that rushed morning, it could have been the week before. But my heart swelled with joy, love, and connection. Such innocence. Such a gift. Such delight in receiving something so unexpected.
And it reminded me that it really is the little things that matter… those little things ARE the big things. The 5 minutes on the floor. The playful song to brush teeth. The game to put on socks and shoes. The voices and characters I make real. While sometimes that can get tiring, as Jon Kabat-Zinn, expert in mindfulness practices teaches, “The little things? The little moments? They aren’t little.”
Instead of rushing through the day to get to the good stuff, what if you could change your perspective and make every activity the good stuff?