A Child's Perspective

Yesterday was one of those days when I was feeling a little less than terrific. It wasn't one those horrible days when I can't imagine leaving the house and getting out into the world; it was simply a day when living took a little extra effort. I was more impatient. I had a difficult time seeing the good in things. My head was filled with a huge "to do" list of things that I wanted or needed to accomplish.

I walked with the girls to the grocery store and did our shopping. Emma always walks home, due to a loaded down bike trailer.

Emma became inspired to pick one of every different kind of wild flower that she spied on the way home. She found dandelions, violets, and a whole other collection of flowers that I can't even identify. She was pretty pleased with her findings. At first, I found myself feeling impatient, just wanting to get home and get some lunch and get on with my day. Then I tried to see things from her perspective. This was something she was really fascinated with. Who am I to deny her of such a simple pleasure? I took a deep breath, allowed myself to become immersed in the moment. I even helped her scope out the grassy areas on our walk so she could find as many flowers as possible.

Also on the walk, not far from home, is a small field, full of dandelions that have gone to seed (or "blow flowers" as my kids like to call them). They are Molly's obsession right now. She gleefully hopped out of the bike trailer and went nuts running through the field, seeds flying everywhere behind her. I forgot all about my empty stomach and drank in beauty of the moment.

I love how kids can become so absolutely absorbed in the moment like that. As Emma and Mo watched ants crawling along the sidewalk, that was the only thing in the world that existed for them. They weren't thinking about lunch, or watching a video in the afternoon or the fight they had that morning. They were completely and utterly consumed with watching the ants scurry on their way.

As I write this, they are outside, on a little patch of grass outside our dining room window, digging a hole, just for the fun of it. And I can tell you that nothing in this world is more important to either one of them right in this moment.

I have a lot to learn from those girls.