Being in the Present (Orginally written December 2011)

Well, it is my first time submitting a blog entry this year, and the year is almost over! It's kind of funny. I have considered creating the blog devoted to the wisdom and lessons I learn from my now three-year-old daughter. I find I can easily see amazing life lessons as I try to teach her. A couple of days ago, she, my father, and I went to downtown DC to see the Christmas trees close to the White House. In the beginning, she was excited and enjoying herself. The next moment, she kept saying she wanted to the see the Christmas trees (they were still there in front of us), and that she didn't want to go home. For a number of reasons, I was frustrated and irritable, so I impatiently reminded her that we had not left yet. She was crying and sad when what she wanted was right there in front of her. She was so busy concentrating on what she didn't want, that she couldn't appreciate what she had.

Today, it was my turn to learn the lesson. I was taking my daughter to see a play (it was her first time seeing one), and I was fighting all my feelings to not go.  It was pouring rain, we were running late, and we were walking and using public transportation.  It would have been nice to relax at home. However, after all we went though to get the tickets, I thought we should go.

As we walked down the street to get to the Metro station, I kept thinking that we would never make it to the play on time. Her tiny toddler sized feet were no match for my quick, long strides. She looked at everything around her, but she never looked in front to see where she was going. I was holding her hand, my purse, a bag, and an umbrella while rushing. My daughter was fascinated by the puddles of water and the water dropping on the grass, and it occurred to me that she had not really been out in the rain before. Usually, when we went somewhere, we running from the house into a car - not really walking in the rain much and certainly not playing in it. I realized that I had no control of when we arrived to see the play, and I couldn't make her walk any faster. I knew that I had to surrender to the moment as she was doing. She was enjoying the beauty around her. She was completely present; I had been thinking of our future. I relaxed during the rest of the trip, and we were late but still able to see the play. She really enjoyed it. It is amazing how much wisdom a three-year-old can have.