The past few days have been full of firsts... and lasts. Labor Day marked the unofficial last day of summer... and the first day of my fortieth year. As we lamented the unfortunate end of the long days, carefree nights and relaxed routine we've grown happily accustomed to, we celebrated my birthday -- and anticipated the important upcoming firsts for our kids... specifically, Ciara's first day of kindergarten and Liam's first day of second grade, both of which were today.
As you might imagine, there is a lot of emotion, anxiety and hope tied to these landmark events... turning the big 4-0, sending your only little lady off to kindergarten and watching your firstborn hop on the bus to second grade. I can't help but wonder where the time has gone, how it passed so fast, and what the future will bring.
As it turns out, my not-yet-five year old put it best when she hopped out of bed this morning and announced in a most matter-of-fact way "I'm a kindergartener now Mom." The rainy day and fact that her "back to school outfit" never arrived in the mail didn't dampen her spirit; she just took it all in stride, inspiring today's Tuesday Tip.
Take it easy. Have faith in the what the future holds, for your children, your family and yourself. It is so easy to get caught up in the hoopla of life's milestones, be they turning forty or the first day of school. It's so easy to let external pressures invade your inner-most thoughts. "Am I really turning 40? Can I really be this old? Will there be a great big party? Shouldn't there be ?!" Or "Can I really put my peanut on a school bus? Is she really ready to go? Will she make friends? Will she miss me?" These and many other thoughts cluttered my mind for much of the long Labor Day weekend.
Rather than enjoying the moment, (there were many enjoyable moments that included swimming, ice cream and pizza, just to name a few!) I was too busy fretting about what might come next. Perhaps, at the end of the day, that's why they fly by so quickly. Because we're all too busy worrying about what comes next.
Thanks to my brave, confident, sassy kindergartener, as I begin this next decade, I'm going to try to be more like her. To enjoy the moment. To take it in stride. And yes, to even skip through the raindrops rather than let it rain on my parade.
Take it easy. Have faith in the what the future holds, for your children, your family and yourself. It is so easy to get caught up in the hoopla of life's milestones, be they turning forty or the first day of school. It's so easy to let external pressures invade your inner-most thoughts. "Am I really turning 40? Can I really be this old? Will there be a great big party? Shouldn't there be ?!" Or "Can I really put my peanut on a school bus? Is she really ready to go? Will she make friends? Will she miss me?" These and many other thoughts cluttered my mind for much of the long Labor Day weekend.
Rather than enjoying the moment, (there were many enjoyable moments that included swimming, ice cream and pizza, just to name a few!) I was too busy fretting about what might come next. Perhaps, at the end of the day, that's why they fly by so quickly. Because we're all too busy worrying about what comes next.
Thanks to my brave, confident, sassy kindergartener, as I begin this next decade, I'm going to try to be more like her. To enjoy the moment. To take it in stride. And yes, to even skip through the raindrops rather than let it rain on my parade.
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1 comment:
I would never attempt to argue with the general smartness of this idea. Take it in stride, enjoy the moment. Of course, it's the execution of it that trips me up.
There's precious little in our culture that supports this kind of mindset or way of being--it's all moving in the other direction. Hurry, do, rush, buy, work, do some more! Almost everything around us is loud, fast and out of control. So, it takes constant vigilance and moving against the tide to live a different way.
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