What if you missed hearing the best part of your child’s day because you were on the phone? What if you missed a chance to inhale the sweet scent of your energetic child because you insisted on folding that basket of laundry before bedtime? What if you missed a chance to console your worried spouse because of your mile-long to-do list? What if you missed hearing an unknown childhood memory from your aging parent because you were too busy to call? What if you missed a divine cloud formation in the sky because you were racing to the bank, the post office, and the dry cleaner before you had to pick up the kids? What if one day you realized that all the opportunities you missed couldn’t be retrieved? But it was already too late. What if one day you realized the best moments in life come in the mundane, everyday moments? But you were only fully present on special occasions. What if, instead of rushing through the minutiae of your daily life, you occasionally paused and offered your presence? What if you turned away from the distractions that monopolize your time and attention and grasped the sacred moments passing you by? Turn off the music in the car. Sit next to your child as she plays. Lie in bed with her after you say goodnight. Hug her and don’t let go right away. Tell her something you have been meaning to say. Bend down and look her in the eye when she talks to you. Do these things and see what might unfold. And once the moment is over, reflect back on that moment and realize this painful truth: If I had not paused, that precious moment is what I would have missed.
~Rachel Macy Stafford, Hands Free Mama, p21
I love this.