The kids and I relished the pleasures of a semi-crowded beach this morning.
Sitting to our left was another mother with two children. Her interactions with her kids went something like this:
"Don't put sand on the blanket!"
"Wipe off your hands!"
"Don't do that or we'll have to leave!"
Um, isn't this the beach? You can kind of expect sand on the blanket, don't you think?!
I use this illustration only because I recognize the same tendency in myself.
Why are mothers so uptight these days?
On our right - another mother with two kids. This lady totally chilled out. Enjoying the sun, she glanced up every once in a while to make sure no one had drowned. Then she did the unthinkable - she got in the water, all the way, with her kids. And had a blast.
This lady deserved a gold medal. She looked like she actually enjoyed being a mom. It brought a smile to my face to see her with her children.
We had an amazing time, too. But no way was I getting in that water, people. Chilly was an understatement (although I did have to perform two rescues of boys under water that almost took me down with them!).
I enjoyed sticking my toes in, though. I splashed a few smiling faces - laughed and applauded various stunts performed for my benefit.
And I miraculously made it through 20 pages of my book! Very relaxing.
Relaxation begins with a choice - to be present - in the good moments and the bad.
So today, let's keep our mouths shut when we want to nag about the unimportant.
Instead, let's take a deep breath and enter in with our kids.
Just relax.
