Now

"Is your mind on what you're doing or what you're going to do?" - Barbara Curtis, the Mommy Manual

I'm re-reading my copy of the Mommy Manual because as Lou's getting older, it's all starting to be more applicable. The quote above was in reference to slowing down our actions as we carry on through the day because our little ones are watching us and working to copy everything we do. As adults, we've learned to multi-task a little better than toddlers (though the mommy brain syndrome seems to have stolen my multi-tasking superpowers at times and I'm a puddle of mush, but that's another story). So, if our minds are on the here and now, we tend to move a little slower, creating a better example for our children as they learn new skills.

The thing is, this quote struck me off guard because suddenly I was applying it to more than just teaching Lou how to manage new skills.

My mind is often much more on what comes next. What am I doing at noon? What will I need to do tonight or tomorrow? What does next week or next month or next year hold? And on the planning (or worrying) goes. Very rarely is my mind on what I am doing right now. In this moment. I'm working really hard to live in the moment - this one - not tomorrow's moment. Planning ahead has its' place and is certainly wise, but when it becomes an obsession or worry or simply a distraction from the beauty of what is going on in the middle of this moment, it becomes a hazard and a danger.

I risk losing these moments; the ones I planned so carefully for yesterday or last month, if I don't live fully in them, as they happen.