One thing I need to learn to do better is waste time. I don’t mean mindlessly watching TV, but really taking time out to do nothing – just be. I recently had an opportunity to try it. I was putting our kids to bed while my wife was attending a school parent teacher meeting. I read to my son and got him in bed. I then read to my daughter and got her tucked in and was ready to leave the room. She said she wanted me to stay with her until mommy got home. OK, I’ll sit with you for a few minutes. As I am watching her slowly begin to doze off, I look around the room. One of our cats is lying on the floor. I notice how quiet it is in the house. There is no TV, just the radio next to her bed playing soft soundscape music very quietly. And then…I begin to think of all the things I need to or should be doing right now. My mind is rushing around while I am sitting still in the quiet. Why is it so hard just to sit and be still for even a few minutes? I tried my best to push away all the thoughts of stuff that I “need” to be doing. I just sat on the bed and watched my daughter fall asleep. That was the only thing that I needed to be doing. Nothing else really matters. The few moments like these are the ones that will make a difference to me years from now. I hope I can remain aware enough to recognize these moments when they happen. It would really be a shame to miss them.
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