A lot of times, in life and parenting, I feel like I'm on a carnival ride. Sometimes it entertains me and other times it makes me queasy.It seems like I am always looking forward to tomorrow; to the next stage in life, to the next developmental milestone for my kids, to a time where I can slow down and enjoy myself. Well, Self, that time needs to be NOW. How is it that I stop and think and realize my son is almost a year and a half old?! I always think about what I was doing this time last year, or the year before, and wonder how time has moved so fast! I used to scoff when people would tell me, "It[time] goes so fast, especially when you have children". I didn't believe them. Then, I found myself wishing time away because I was so impatient to accomplish something or to witness another big step in my sons life. I couldn't wait until he could crawl, then I couldn't wait for him to walk, now I hardly remember the crawling stage. How did that go by so quickly?
I recently read on a recipe blog that "the journey is the destination" (Source: therebelchick.com). Wow, I had never thought of life like that. I'm always aiming at a goal but I lose sight of how I get there, or what happened along the way. Sure, in the moment, I think that I'm cherishing my kids and my life, but as a whole I'm so not as present as I want to be! I'm always rushing, even when I don't have any kind of time constraints. Once, I made it into Walmart, with a toddler, got the 15+ items on my list, and made it out to my car in ten minutes. Why am I proud of that? Thinking back, I don't even think I had anything pressing. Do I really need to move like a maniac in a store to get the things I need and get home? No. The simple answer is NO. Yes, there are times when rushing is required but on a regular day would it kill me to let my son walk through the store and look at whatever he wants more than once and awhile? When he points at something and says, "Doh" why can't I wheel him over there so he can get a closer look at what has grabbed his attention more often than not? These are small and frivolous things but if I can't do that, how am I to change the big things?
The Journey is the Destination. Where do I want to go as a parent, as a friend, as a daughter or a sister? How can I make my Journey more meaningful and deliberate? Maybe that is the key, being deliberate. I'm challenging myself this month to actively stop, breathe, and savor the everyday moments that I take for granted. Will you take that challenge with me?