Children have an innate gift that few of us retain into adulthood: the ability to go about life slowly. Most of the time, however, this gift aggravates rather than inspires me—like when my toddler insists on descending the three flights of stairs from our apartment on her own. On a recent walk I felt the familiar, anxious urge to hurry her along, glancing ahead and thinking, “We’ll never make it to the top of that hill.”
Then it hit me: I don’t have to make it to the top of that hill! The top of that hill isn’t my destination. My destination is to have an enjoyable outing with my daughter. If that means poking around in the same muddy puddle for ten minutes, so be it. If it means standing absolutely still and watching the sky, that’s okay. When I surrender to my child’s pace and breathe deeply rather than fume, I find the peace that so frequently eludes me. I remember that often the journey is the destination.
QUESTION: What strategies do you use to help yourself slow down and enjoy the journey?
CHALLENGE: The next time you feel like one of your children is slowing you down, stop and re-think your destination.
Thanks–I needed this reminder! When I find myself rushing my little slowpoke, I try to stop and cut her some slack since she inherited that trait from me. 🙂
What an excellent reminder. I thrive on lists so it’s often hard to adjust my day to allow for the kinds of things that don’t really get checked off lists, like enjoying the moment a baby forces you to stop what you’re doing and hold her.