Letting them shine

Do not ask that your kids live up to your expectations.  Let your kids be who they are, and your expectations will be in breathless pursuit.  ~Robert Brault

I do not know about you, but I have a very busy mind.  Every moment of every day I am busy comparing myself against the expectation I have of myself at the moment.  It could be from a trivial thing like how clean is my kitchen.  To a thing of more consequence, like am I choosing the correct thing to be working or to be home with my children.

I know, as a student of awareness, that from time to time this squirrel cage of a mind gets "taken out" on my children.  I am just not one of those mothers with a calm and quiet demeanor at all times.  I snap at my kids on occasion, and then I listen to myself and think, "Is that really necessary?"  Today the two, playing together, mind you, were in the kitchen with my whole linen closet on the floor wrapping each other up in "beds" of my towels, sheets and pillow covers.  I am not sure what the game was intended to be, and they were having tremendous fun.  Of course, as cute as they were, all I could see was that they had unfolded all that tedious work of folding and sheets in particular are hard to fold.  I think I even said something to that effect.  And even as I was talking to them about it, part of me did not care at all. 

If only I played like they did all day long.  I really think that is what the gift of life is intended to be, a precious gift, full of wonder.  I am not saying this like a human being must or even could be happy all the time.  But there is something that children could teach us adults.  And as I folded up the laundry after they were asleep and the house was finally quiet, I ran through all the moments where my children fill me with awe.  They really live life in the flow of life.  They really are happy more moments than not.  They create whole worlds and love each other and all other kids, no matter the duration of the relationship.  Their openness, their zest, their volume and passion for every waking moment.  Really, my busy mind can keep on chattering, I am going to listen to them.