Life Lessons Learned over Ice Cream

You know it is during the simplest of life’s moments that the most profound lessons are often discovered (or re-discovered).

This was just the case today while I sat watching my son eat ice cream.  This was his ‘reward’ for being brave - having just had staples removed from the back of his head. (The result of a glass table vs. Coop moment while I was in Vancouver.  If you think the phone call sharing the news might have caused a small heart attack….you are correct.)

It was as I was mesmerized by Coop’s joy and fixation that the lessons popped into my head one at a time.

Savor.  Savor life, savor food, savor relationships.  Coop tackled his cone one. lick. at. a. time.  In between he would stop to look…making sure he wasn’t missing a drop.  If only I savored every meal, every moment like this.

Family should never be far from your mind. As the small dude savored the creamy moments, a ‘look’ developed in his eyes.  He tilted his head and said, “we have to get something to take home for my sister.”

This also leads to lesson #3 - even when I feel as though I might drown from the guilt I feel - worrying if I am equipping my children with the necessary tools to be powerful adults, I get a big, “would you relax already?” in the form of a 3 year old who I have clearly taught compassion and a sharing heart.

Stop eating when you aren’t hungry anymore.  Seriously?  This shouldn’t be a surprise….and yet…. The kid ate about 3/4 of the ice cream cone and decided he was done.  So he stopped.  Me?  I MUST.FINISH.  Changing that immediately.

Smile, at everyone. I try to do this, but there is something so innocent when done by a child - and even better?  The reactions he gets from strangers.  He smiles, they smile.  So, if I smile, do you smile?

The quality of our time together matters as much as the amount of time. It was more important to Cooper than I was THERE, right then.  That I wasn’t multi-tasking, answering a call or email, or on twitter.  That I was staring at him while he ate and laughing.  He didn’t care that we were only there for 30 minutes.  He just cared that it was ‘Mommy and Cooper’ time. I may not be able to sit and stare at my kids all day, every day, soaking up their zest for life, but I can make time to do it on a regular basis.

For me - having this time to just observe my son, well…..it was priceless.  It was just what I needed to refocus on what is most important in my world…my family and the joy they inject into my days.

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