Why wait?
Our society’s credit cards, drive-thrus, highspeeds, fastpass, express lanes, instant meals, and pvr/tivo is backing us even further into a sad place. We can’t wait for anything and we can’t miss anything.
I always remember my mother saying to me, “Life goes on,” when I would complain that while I was off doing one thing I wanted to do, the family was doing something else of similar fun. She was reminding me, that while I was free to make my choice of what I was pursuing that moment, the family was also free to do the same.
I wonder if we really respect that today? We can’t stand in line making small talk with the elderly lady ahead of us because we are too frustrated with someone else in the aisle with one too many items for the express lane. We run and run but never catch up.
We need to help our children to slow down, to enjoy not just the event but the anticipation. Try to do this by demonstrating some self-control yourself. Talk about what you are waiting for. Talk about how easy it would be to take the shortcut, but take “the sweetest way home” as my dad used to put it.
Have you noticed this in your own life or in the life of your child? How do you slow down and enjoy life?
5 comments:
I have just taken a few days off from blogging, Having just had my new book published and thinking of ways to promote it thought I deserved a wee break.
Also family problems I'm trying to sort out. but as from today I am back.
Loved your post,
Yvonne.
funny, my parents said those things to me too. ;)
On another note, now that I've gone back and read the days I'd missed, I thought I'd come back and say this: In a store when the kids have the "Iwants" I enjoy listening to them. Usually they're not carrying money so I answer them with you'll have to make a list of what you want and see if you have enough money for that. That puts them back to browsing and then the fun begins. Even a store like Dollarama, is fun with them. As they comment on the items they see or think they'd like you get to see what is interesting to them right now. For example a little girl who stops near the noisemakers or one who examines every puzzle or stands in front of the "boy toys" enjoying them just as much as the girlie ones. It's fun to ask them why they like that particular thing or if they can think of anyone it would be fun to buy that item for. We rarely buy anything but what we've gone into the store to get but we often have a good look around too and I've never seen them leave the store disappointed that they didn't get to buy that item they first claimed they wanted.
Well, that's a good example of "teachable moment" isn't it! That's great. We always say, "Add it to your list." But they don't really have a list longer than about two things at any one time and they never remember to add it to the list when they get home. Never. Well, not something small anyway... A Nintendo DS is still on our middle guy's list :)
Love your attitude, Ron. This is a topic I address with myself quite often. I call it contentment, or gratitude. I'm trying hard to instill these qualities in my two boys. We can't afford to let life pass us by while we're in frantic pursuit of the next goal. Yes, it sure will be great when they can buckle their own carseats. But right now, they're sitting on the couch with a favorite book yelling, "Mom! Cuddles! I picked my book!" so I put down everything, go read that story, while holding them so tight and smelling their sweet little baby shampoo heads and soaking it all in. So flash-forward. Those little tikes are now just shy of 15 and a very determined 12. I long for those toddler days, but also get such a kick out of my oldest "interrupt my writing" to tell me about the new goofy kid he met. Life is short. Life is Good. Hmmm, wouldn't that make a good blog name? Thanks for your awesome video promoting the challenge. I LOVED it.
Tina @ Life is Good
Co-Host of the April 2012 Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#atozchallenge
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