Worth Watching

Someone recently shared this video with me.  It is definitely worth watching, but make sure you have some
tissues nearby!

It is a short segment from author Katrina Kenison's memoir: The Gift of an Ordinary Day.

The video got me thinking.  I am guilty of always rushing to the next thing in life.  Whether it is wishing away the week to get to the weekend or trying to meet some sort of deadline.  I need to learn to live in the moment and not rush life so much.  Parker is only 15 months old, but those 15 months have flown by!  It seems like just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital.  (Now I know why people always used to tell me that).

Last night after dinner, instead of cleaning the dishes and picking up toys, Parker and I went upstairs and
read a book.  I watched him while he smiled and laughed as we turned the pages.  There were plenty of other
things I could have been doing at that time - cleaning up for our weekend guests, dusting off the dining room
table before we have company over tonight or putting away the recently folded clothes.  I decided that all
that could wait and I'm glad I did.  I quickly have realized that it won't be long before he doesn't want to
sit on my lap and read.

Grandmomma, my dad's mom, always had a sign hanging in her kitchen which read: A clean house is a sign of a misspent life!  I feel like that is a great way to live life - although I know it is harder said than done.  If I spend all my time doing things that I feel like have to be done, I will miss out on special moments that I can't get back.

Here is another poem I enjoy:

"If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging."

                                                         

                                                                                                     - Diane Loomans

On another note, I'm in the middle of this book right now.  It's one of those that is hard to put down.

Any other recommendations?  I would love to hear them.  I'm always ready for a good book!