It seems that the best and brightest people are leaving us. Talented celebrities like Ali, but also people who have personally shaped us. This spring and summer I’ve lost two uncles and a dear friend: G. Chacon, R. Ordaz, L. Watson Rodriguez. We’ve also suffered the loss of W. Fleming, a missionary, J. Sanchez, preacher’s wife, and my friend Pat Gilpin’s brother.
Through all this, I was able to reconnect with people I hadn’t seen in years. I also took notice of how my two boys have grown. Not just physically, but in emotional maturity. They were very sweet and understanding that I was devoting more of our family fun time to visiting relatives and consoling friends. I also see how reverent and unafraid they are toward death, and I’m very proud of them.
Like many moms, I’ve been feeling guilty of “squandering” most of our summer because we didn’t do enough fun things like we’d planned. But then I begin to see that if ever there’s a time to “waste” time it is definitely in the summertime. Laying on a blanket with a book, trying out new recipes, driving slowly to help Joseph collect another Pokemon, doing absolutely nothing—check, check, check, and check!
As I begin to get things ready for my Joseph to be a high school freshman, and my Theodore to enter middle school, I am twice as excited and terrified as they are. My hope is that they get the classes they need to develop their minds and that they learn to be good leaders and team players.
Meanwhile, I’m working on a list of “resolutions” for this coming school/fiscal year. I plan to start planning using a bullet journal. I will definitely schedule in a weekend family getaway. Overall, my goal is to keep working on being mindful and present so I don’t miss anything as my children “float like a butterfly” each day.
How do you stay mindful, even in chaos?
