Being here is enough

I've noticed that when I start the day off getting things done I often get into a "doing" mode and I need to consciously choose to get out of "doing" and into "being." Today was no exception.

We had quite the day today. We successfully ran errands to four different places between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm today - I am quite impressed with all of us, especially because we didn't have any major meltdowns!

After our very productive morning we arrived home, ate lunch, and started to watch a movie for "rest time." About 30 min into the movie Mary Jane announced that she wanted to take a bath with the rubber duckies she had been playing with. And so, into the bathroom we went. After a few minutes I found myself thinking about all of the things I could be getting done (and really want to get done) if only Mary Jane could play by herself in the bathroom without me needing to be right there with her.

I'm not sure what it was that snapped me out of my thoughts, but all of a sudden I realized that I am sitting next to my precious little girl while she is playing a wonderful (and very cute) game with her rubber ducks, kicking and splashing in the water, blowing bubbles and having conversations...and I was missing it entirely because I was focused on what I could be getting done instead.

The truth is, there are a lot of things I would like to get done around the house, and outside the house, too. But in that moment I was sitting in the bathroom with my little girl. It really makes no difference at all what else I could be getting done. And so I chose to let all those other things go and just enjoy being with Mary Jane. It was fantastic.

...and it lasted about five more minutes until I started drifting off again. Then I chose again to be present with Mary Jane. I think this is the lesson for me today: being present is a matter of choosing over and over again to simply be here, now. Perhaps it will be different in the future. But for now, I will practice choosing to be here, now.


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