This week, I went to run errands while my life-saving babysitter watched my kids (no, I won’t give you her contact information, I’m keeping her all to myself). Afterwards, I stopped at the nearest outdoor space so I could listen to my audio book.
Remember last week when I asked how people have time to read? Well I tried downloading a book I already own and have slowly been listening to Goldie Hawn read 10 Mindful Minutes to me as I fall asleep at night. Today I thought I could use the 30 minutes I had to spare to listen to the book, while being outside. Currie Park was close to my errand destination, so I pulled in, came across a lawn chair in my minivan (yes!), and set up shop on the golf course. I found a nice view of greens, reds, oranges, yellows and the bright blue sky to gaze at while I put on my headphones and sat down.
Luckily the few golfers had pretty good aim and didn’t hit any golf balls my way. They even gave me a nice and friendly wave.
While this “adventure” wasn’t exciting per say, it was necessary. Having time to reflect on myself, my family, and how to maintain a sense of clarity was essential for me today. The past few weeks have been challenging with lots of emotions and feelings and boundary-testing among my kids. Last night I decided that I needed to figure out a way to tackle some of the harder situations, so that I can be a good and effective parent. While I’m only part way through this book, the chapters I listened to today focused on distinguishing the different parts of the brain and what they do. And how to not let your mind get hijacked by certain feelings/emotions that don’t benefit us. I found the information useful and applicable and it helped me hit the reset button. When I came home, I was able to look at all three of the kids and tell them how much I loved them and how happy I was to see them. Honestly.
It’s not probably the most exciting thing Milwaukee has to offer, but on a perfect October day, I bet you could find a million other spots like this at which to sit down, breathe, and reflect. I don’t know how many of my readers are parents of young kids, but I don’t think it really matters. We all need some time to be outside by ourselves.
Enjoy your week!
A. Storm
Leave a Reply