As much as my mind is full of ideas about the future, sometimes I can kind of get lost there. I’m good at that—thinking about how today affects tomorrow, but the problem is that sometimes my head can be so stuck in the future that I miss out on today. Does that ever happen to you?
When I had my own little preschool of four and thought for sure that I might check myself into the looney bin soon, I remember always thinking, “I can’t wait until they get older. When they get older I’m going to…” I’m sure you know those kinds of thoughts. I remember people always saying that they grow up so fast and that I should relish my time with them as preschoolers. I knew it was true at the time and I still keep that in my mind today even though they’ve grown up a bit, but sometimes it can be so hard!
Just this week I had two of my children complain to me that I spend too much time on the phone. What? The phone? I don’t even know where the phone is half the time. I really don’t use the phone very often, but I guess when I do, it can be on the long side of things, so in their minds, they think I spend too much time on it. So it made me do some thinking. Am I really spending too much time on the phone? Am I spending too much time on the computer checking my e-mail? Am I so busy running my household that I forget to actually spend time with those who make up my household?
I had been driving along, busy as can be, and not really aware of what I was reflecting until my little “mirrors” came along. Blasted all to pieces! Maybe I should just rename them the “hazard lights” since what they did for me this week was signal that there was something hazardous taking place under my own nose. I was losing focus on one of the most important things–my children. I can write a bunch of parenting blogs, help out another mom on the phone, keep my house in order, and keep my plates spinning, but if I put those things before my children, then I’ve lost the whole reason for why I’m here. They are the whole reason I am able (and love) to help other moms. Without them I would be unable to do any of the above noble things.
My response to make things right is to answer the phone only when I have to (that’s why I’ve got an answering machine, for goodness sake), get on the computer only when I truly need to not just because I’m walking by, let the dishes pile in the sink, and let any other things go that do not need to be done immediately. Why? Because I want my children to know that I care about their “today” just as much as their future. I want them to know that they are more important than the phone, my e-mail and any tasks around the house. I want my actions to follow my beliefs no matter how hard it is to do! So I am grateful for those precious “hazard lights” that reminded me to re-shift my focus back on where it should be…on today and not the “what ifs” of the future. If you call or e-mail and I don’t immediately reply…you know where I’ll be!
