Tag Archives: perspective

All the life in between…

The beginning of the school year always feels like a whirlwind. For at least six weeks; beginning in mid-August, there is no way to catch your breath until the first week of October. And then that breath is usually more of a gasp for air than a steady intake of the life-giving stuff. And I LOVE my students and I love what I do and this is not about all the time I don’t have—rather, it is about all the time I don’t want to miss.

As summer comes to an end, I am always filled with a sense that all the fun is coming to an end. And, in a sense, many of the things I love about summer simply can’t continue year-long. Leisurely breakfasts with my boys, spontaneous mid-day trips to the zoo, luxuriously quiet mid-morning trips to the grocery store, and spur of the moment trips to visit a friend need to make way for structures and schedules and school. In our house, two teachers and two little scholars (preschool and first grade) mean school nights are serious and school mornings are no joke! Our summers are luxurious and afford us endless times together as a family—the school year cuts that down to about two hours a day in which we need to eat, do homework, and accomplish  all the other chores and joys of life. I am grateful for our summers and aware of how blessed we are to have them—but I still mourn the loss of my family time each fall.

And every year, I try to remind myself that school starting doesn’t mean our family time needs to end: that following my life’s calling by day doesn’t mean I need to abandon my life’s calling by night.

I am always looking to document the joy in my journey: I am constantly photographing this adventure called life. And last Monday I took a pic of my boys mid a hectic post-school grocery run and thought: “There it is! These are the moments that make our life together ours. We might only have a few hours together as a family today, but these are the hours we’ll remember.” So this past week, I decided to intentionally document proof of my life outside of the school day.  I kept taking a picture a day for perspective—and I found that I had a lot of living and loving to do outside of my work days.


I recognize that I have the luxury of spending my summers and weekends with my family, but I also get to live the exhausted realities of every day life with them as well.

Tuesday’s image, enjoying a popsicle while wrapped in a blanket, made me smile and is not unlike the daily work-life balancing act. It can be a balancing act and a challenge to find enjoyment in the little things (like a popsicle on the porch); especially if the moment comes with logistical challenges (such as wrapping a blanket around you to make the night a bit less autumnal and a bit more reminiscent of summer). But it is worth the work to find that balance. And, often, the challenge isn’t in the work of manipulating logistics but rather it is in the art of perception: in simply acknowledging the joys that are already there and in the moments waiting to be found good.

Small Moments and Big Rocks

Tonight, my boys were wound up and bouncing a bit more than usual. And after I made the, “We need to start getting ready for bed,” announcement, my 4.5 year old wound up even tighter. But then he looked at me with sincere eyes and said, “Mom, I know what will calm me down: The BIG Rock.”

The BIG Rock, as it is formally known at our house; is a sizable rock that sits in the last yard, at the end of our block. It is the agreed upon turn-around-point for boys who are adventuring down the sidewalk on their Big Wheels and scooters, and it has been a favorite stop on family walks since the boys were old enough to ride along in a stroller.

“I think we need to walk to The Big Rock, Mom. That will help me calm down for bed.”

I started to say, “Maybe tomorrow;” but then I caught myself before the words came out. I chose, instead, to embrace this small moment with my little man: to find joy in the not-always-joyous struggle of bedtime.

Me and My Kai Walking

As we began to walk, Kai held my hand and snuggled up to my side. He rambled off a play-by-play of each crack in the sidewalk, each bump he likes to ride over, and nearly infinite knowledge of each spot along the way. As we neared the end of the block, Kai announced proudly: “It’s coming, Mom!”

And when we arrived at The BIG Rock, he jumped up onto the rock with fanfare. He gave me a grin, declaring: “And now I will sit on The BIG Rock. And YOU will take my picture!”

I laughed as I fumbled to pull out my phone and snap a few pics: happy for this moment together. And then, as quickly as he jumped up on the rock, he jumped back down and we walked home hand-in-hand.  And though the moment was brief, it was special.

Kai on Rock Color

The walk home was a little quieter as Kai tried to catch his shadow among the numerous looooooong shadows of the late, summer evening.

And even though he wanted to race me up the sidewalk to our door, he remained amazingly calm once we walked through it. He greeted Patrick with a smile and a snuggle, and he gave us NO arguments as I escorted him up to bed. After a hug and a kiss, he snuggled into his bed, and he was asleep within moments of laying down.

I found myself still grinning about our trip to The BIG Rock for sometime after Kai went to bed, and it made me ponder our small moment with that BIG Rock…

Maybe The BIG Rock has calming powers after all! Or maybe we’d all sleep better if we could stop and find joy in those tiny moments of connection that are often so easy to pass up because we are busy, or because they don’t follow our set schedule for the day.

And so, once again, I find myself challenged to find joy in my journey. I find myself thanking God for these sweet boys who challenge me and inspire me. And as the sweet, quiet moments of tonight give way to the frustrations and challenges that will inevitably find their way back into my day, I challenge myself to find joy in a BIG Rock or a short walk tomorrow. And, just as Kai leaned into me, may I lean into my Heavenly Father’s embrace as I try to find my way there.

Kai on Rock B&W

May we all find joy in a BIG Rock or a short walk; in a chosen moment of joy today!

 

Laundry Mountains and Joy in the Journey

Photo Apr 12, 12 02 36 PM

Mount Laundry

Somedays I feel like I am engaged in a never-ending battle with laundry. As I looked at my kitchen table this morning, covered with piles upon piles of clothing; I may or may not have silently compared it to an insurmountable mountain.

Don’t misunderstand: I was grateful that my family has ample clothing to wear and that I was looking at clean laundry instead of piles of dirty. And folding laundry always makes my heart swell with gratitude, pride, and love for the little people and loving husband that fill the very clothes I am engaged in battle with. However, most days I have a hard time appreciating those seemingly-infinite piles.

My guys have been sick this week and sleep has been rare, but this morning I found myself up early enjoying the quiet; stacking mound upon mound of laundry.  Once the boys were up, I abandoned the piles and got busy with cuddles, juice cups, and breakfast.  I shooed them away from the table once or twice in fear that my piles might come tumbling down, but toddlers are persistent to a fault and they found their way back there when I was was not looking.  And then, just as they so often do, they challenged my perspective. They might not appreciate the fact that I do laundry so that they have clean clothes to wear, but today they appreciated my insurmountable mountain.  Except where I saw a battle, they saw adventure: an opportunity to explore.

“Look, Kai!  Look at the city…” I heard Keilan whisper in an awe-filled voice.

“Wow.” Kai murmured in response.

Photo Apr 12, 9 02 11 AM

Looked like a pile of pajamas to me, but my guys saw it as a breathtaking skyscraper. ❤

And then they stood for a number of mesmerized moments admiring those beautiful towers and the “roads” between them.

“Kai! Whoa! Look at THAT tower!”

“Keilan! Look!  Look at that path!”

I still shooed them away before any of those towers came tumbling down, but I did it with a smile and with a newfound joy in today’s journey.

Love those boys.

Love how they challenge my perspective.

Love how they help me appreciate the journey even when I get caught up in the challenges and doldrums.  And I love how they help me find joy in this journey of life and love that we’re on.

 

"LOOK! Kai, look at the city!"

Confession: these laundry piles lasted on the table for more than just an hour or two. But we didn’t let our laundry mountain get in the way of our lunch. These boys LOVED their picnic amidst the laundry city 😉

A Change in Perspective: a Discovery of Joy

When I first began this blog, I wrote about how speed bumps make me smile: and they still do. Finding joy in the everyday adventures of life often requires trying on a new perspective. Just as my brother taught me to see the joy that can be found in life’s speed bumps, my little boys challenge my perceptions of the world each day.

A few days ago, we were just blocks from home when we were forced to stop at a railroad crossing as a train slowly approached the crossing. Patrick muttered a groan of disapproval, I silently bemoaned the inconvenience, and then we heard stirring in the backseat of the van. The boys were just waking up, and I smiled at the sound as I anticipated what their reactions might be. Although my nearly-four-year-old is often slow to wake up, he became alert quickly as he realized why we had stopped.

“Dad, why did we stop?”

“Because there is a train coming, Kei.”

“Oh. Dad, there is a train?”

“Yes, Keilan.”

“Oh, thanks, Dad!”

I saw the irritation melt from Patrick’s face and felt mine lift as well; as we fell deep into a family discussion regarding the color of the engines, what each freight car might possibly be transporting, and even the parade of graffiti that consequently marched before our eyes. One of the freight cars had a picture of a Smurf spray-painted across its side, and Keilan cried out, “Dad! Look a SNURF!!!” knowing that the Smurfs had been a childhood favorite of Patrick’s. His sweet mispronunciation added to the joy of the moment as his brother eagerly pointed out, “A bird!” on the following car.

I treasured the joy of that moment as a reminder that even though sitting at a railroad crossing generally feels inconvenient at best and infuriating at worst, a simple shift in perspective can change all of that. In that moment, our perspective changed. We were no longer just counting the minutes until the train would be past; we were enjoying every minute of the show.

As the final freight car disappeared out of sight, and the crossing arms began to rise, I committed that moment to memory. That moment was a challenge to face life’s delays with a new perspective. That moment was joy.

These two bring such great perspective: and so much joy <3

These two bring such great perspective…and so much joy ❤