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.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.