My alarm clock every morning is the sound of baby elephants leisurely coming down our stairs from their bedroom. I automatically move the pillows surrounding my body in order to have a clear side for each child to snuggle against. This one particular morning, I feel only my six-year-old daughter take my sleepy limp arm to wrap around her body. She looks up at me and says, “I’m so glad to be a part of this family.” The simple, sincere, and precious declaration floors me. I feel heavy with gratitude and weightless at the same time.
It is a moment that also reminds me I spend an unhealthy amount of time looking backward or forward. How often am I actually in the moment long enough to simply appreciate the present? Yes, this is another message to encourage you to stop and smell the roses. I know how often I need reminding!
Our kids are fantastic at living in the moment. Think of all the times they squeal in delight over something seemingly insignificant in our minds. Kids have these absolute honest moments of revealing exactly how they feel. They are present enough to allow even the smallest experiences to permeate.
What do we, especially as mothers, spend our time thinking about? I spend most of my brain power either going over what needs to be done the following weeks to come or scrutinizing past decisions (if I had only applied to more colleges, if I had only studied abroad when I had the chance, if I had only eaten one less donut yesterday).
My son recently graduated preschool, and the school had a ceremony where they handed out diplomas. I set my camera down (and then made my husband pick up his). I allowed myself to be wholly in the moment with my attention only on him. As he shyly walked across the stage, my eyes stung and my chest tightened. Feelings of love, pride, and even grief that he was growing up were so strong that I understood why some people consciously choose not to live in the moment. It can be easier to look forward or backward when the present brings such powerful emotions that we can barely stand to feel them. However, I knew I would not regret emotionally connecting to that moment instead of viewing it through my phone.
The next morning when both my kids snuggle up beside me in bed, I hold them tightly and simply exist. Nothing in the future matters during this moment, and if the tiniest part of my past were changed, this moment might not have happened at all. The thought devastates me to such an extent, I consider it a wake-up call.
So, just in case you are like me and could use a reminder, consider this it. Although it may not be the most important rule for surviving Zombieland, Rule No. 32: Enjoy the Little Things is still a good one!
