Moments of Mindfulness

I just tucked my kids into bed. Andy is sixteen and often tells me about his day right before bed.  I try to focus on what he's saying instead of how messy his room is. Jenna is fourteen. Her hands get really chapped in the winter, so every night I put this thick lotion on them and rub it in really good, and then I put another layer on top of that and slip these extra soft socks over her hands for the night. Her hands are so small and I think she’s done growing. We’ll see. Johnny was already half asleep, so I didn’t have to throw the football for his diving catch into bed. But he did talk me into giving him a back rub. With each one of them we sing the same prayer we've been singing since they were little kids. Putting everyone to bed always takes longer than I think it will, but as I’m sitting uncomfortably on the edge of one of their beds trying to stay awake I start adding up the number of years I have left to do this and the urge to get to my bed goes away.  I become mindful that this moment is precious.

Before bed I was sitting at the dining room table helping Johnny memorize the capitals and countries in Europe. We come up with weird names to help him remember. "Chisinau, Moldova" is "Madonna’s Chihuahua." And "Vilnius, Lithuania" is "Lil’ Wayne is a villain." Some of them are so good even I remember them. I ask him for the tenth time to quick leaning back on the chair and he tells me it helps him think. I understand because I can’t sit still for long either. I start reading my Kindle while he’s thinking. He gives me an answer and I’m consumed in the book already. He asks me, “Are you reading?!” I say, “Yes.” Then he says sternly, “Unacceptable!” I laugh and finish reading the paragraph before I turn back to his list of countries.  I ask him for another capital and while he's leaning back in his chair again thinking, I stop and see this moment for what it is; precious.  I used to be so wound up in tomorrow or yesterday, that I couldn't see today right in front of me.  But now I see us sitting in the dining room laughing and doing homework and I feel grateful that I get to experience this moment, grateful that I’m sober, grateful that my kids love me, and grateful that I have a Kindle (thanks, JB) so I can sit still while he's thinking.  

[The picture above which Jenna took of her friends sitting on the dock is one of my favorites, not just because they're sitting still and not getting into trouble, but they are in the moment, enjoying the lake and each other. It's a great picture of mindfulness.]