Thursday, May 10, 2012

Be present

We were headed back home from errands and Braden fell asleep in his car-seat.
Considering I'm pregnant and was in need of the ladies room,
I didn't want to sit in the car, in the garage, like I normally would until he woke up.
So I got him out of the car-seat as gently as I could.
He snuggled on my shoulder, as I carried him to his crib. I didn't want to put him down.
I wanted to hold onto my sleeping toddler because he doesn't nap on me anymore.
I miss that... him sleeping on me, not wiggling, but just peacefully asleep.

In that moment I was convicted. Convicted to be more present in my child's life.
What things keep me from being present? The list is long... much longer than I want,
much longer than it should be. The computer, my kindle fire, my cell phone, the tv...
those are the things that often distract me from my son. Other things that distract me: A messy room, piles of laundry, being tired, the list of things I WANT to do. I know, though, that these
things aren't worth much. They are not worth ignoring my child. I don't purposely do it, but
I do it. I want that to change. It needs to change.


I saw a question the other day aimed towards mothers, towards parents.
The question was something like, "What would your child say is most important to you?"
I don't want my son saying that the computer or my cell phone is more important.
The internet - facebook, twitter, pinterest, email - can wait.
The dirty dishes, the piles of laundry, the crums on the floor - can wait too.
I know all of that will still be there!
I don't want my son to think those things are more important than he is.
Because they aren't, but I am sure that's what I am saying to him, when I put those things above playing with him, spending time with him.
As a stay-at-home mom, I feel like my job is just that, to be a mom.
To take care of him, play with him, read to him, spend time with him, love him, just be with him.
I want to do better at that.
So I'm trying to take a step back from the things that distract me.
Be on the computer, my phone, less. I'll fail, probably a lot, but I want to spend time where time needs to be, where time is the most important.
With my son.
I want to soak him up. I want to enjoy him.
All of him because there is so much to soak up and enjoy in toddlerhood.

2 comments:

  1. You summed up a lot of my thoughts I have been having lately. I really need to work on being more present!

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  2. I think it is especially hard not to be distracted by those things when you feel like just not doing anything (pregnant and all). It is so easy to sit down and watch a movie or whatever and let the child play, so that you can not feel so exhausted! Thanks for sharing your convictions Kass!

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