Speaking of slowing down, I couldn’t help but appreciate this blog entry that a friend recently posted on Facebook. It’s written by a mom who resolved to change after learning the hard way that she was rushing her two young children too much. This story, from after she stopped saying “hurry up” to her children so often, brought tears to my eyes:

[My 6-year-old daughter and I] had taken a bike ride to a sno-cone shack while on vacation. After purchasing a cool treat for my daughter, she sat down at a picnic table delightedly admiring the icy tower she held in her hand.

Suddenly a look of worry came across her face. “Do I have to rush, Mama?”

I could have cried. Perhaps the scars of a hurried life don’t ever completely disappear, I thought sadly.

As my child looked up at me waiting to know if she could take her time, I knew I had a choice. I could sit there in sorrow thinking about the number of times I rushed my child through life … or I could celebrate the fact that today I’m trying to do thing differently.

I chose to live in today.

“You don’t have to rush. Just take your time,” I said gently. Her whole face instantly brightened and her shoulders relaxed.

-M

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 27th, 2013 at 9:23 am and is filed under 81. Two kids-July-Sept 13. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.