Our neighbors house got broken into last Saturday. It happened between 3:30 and 5:30 pm, which means it was barely dark out yet. Even creepier, all the kids and I were here at home each attending to our own lazy happenings. I was napping on the couch when my neighbor knocked on the door asking to use my phone. "Did you happen to see or hear anything?" she asked. The truth is, the frequent traffic back and forth on our coul de sac has failed to attract my attention anymore as it is such a "normal" way of life around here.
The real truth though, is that I am not as attentive as I'd like to be. I feel like lately I've been going through life with tunnel vision, not observing the details that make life so interesting. I wake up, get dressed, make sure everyone is ready on time for where they have to go, work, eat, sleep and start all over. Some of "details" are often hurdles and I find myself simply relieved when I am over them.
One of the most rewarding aspects of motherhood is being able to experience the way our children observe the world around them. They tend to notice all the details, especially the ones you don't want them to. They notice when we pay more attention to the computer than to them, they notice negative inflections in our voices and when we roll our eyes at yet another mention of what they want for their birthday (even when the birthday isn't for six more months.) But they also notice the Christmas tree in the upstairs window way down the street, and every time the air-filled, attention grabbing thingy at the local car dealership changes (" Look! Now its Uncle Sam! Look! Now its an eagle! Look! Now its a gigantic ape!).
I can lock my doors and trust in God that my house won't get broken into, and yet I couldn't stop it if it happened. But I refuse from this point on to allow my busy life to rob me of the ability to notice the wonderful details that make life memorable. My goal is to notice something positive every day: about my kids, my neighbor (in a general "everyone other than me" kind of way) and the world around me. If we stop to appreciate the good, I believe whole-heartedly that it truly is "A Wonderful Life".
Blessed Advent to all,
Gina.
I know how you feel. I walk through life as though in a fog at times and it takes a lot of effort to get out of it. Why do you think they made a movie called "the fog" that is a horror show? The good this is that it comes and it goes. I love the crystal clear moments when life comes into focus and you can be in the moment. It is what we all need to strive for.
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