Having a child at the age of 38 was anxiety provoking for me. Humbly, I admit that I felt lost and very sad. I was scared and nervous to even be alone with my child. Little did I know that this new world would lead me to discover a new me, a better me (as do many ‘forks in the road’). My child taught me more about love and kindness than I had ever known. My child taught me how to truly be in the moment. Prior to him, I thought I knew everything about this; I taught mindfulness to my clients for years. I practiced meditation daily. But, as the teachings often reference, a child is an expert at mindfulness; “observe life through the curious eyes of a child and you will live mindfully,” as they say. I was a new mom on a dark and scary planet. Just writing that brings up fear of judgement. However, I have learned to let go of criticism because my child is teaching me and I am a better mother for it. We all tend to listen to advice that critiques our imperfections and supplies the ‘should’ and ‘should nots’ of parenting. One thing I have learned in this journey and in the privilege of sharing in my client’s journeys is that my instinct as a parent usually guides me most effectively towards wisdom. I know my child better than anyone and most importantly, I let go of knowing it all as my child eloquently teaches me that I must parent to what is right for him, not what I believe is the right way to parent. Once I relinquished this control, I learned through his eyes. I mindfully watched the beauty in this world.
When he was a tiny infant, we practiced this mindfulness tool. We would say, “good morning sun, good morning living room” and wave hello. When he was experiencing an emotion, I felt it too and understood from his perspective the confusion of being asked to take a bath when ‘I want to play!’
As I watch him grow, I am in awe of his power to be present and aware. We connect better. We play better. We feel joy more intensely. We create spontaneously. We think about our words and actions and Learn. We Express big emotion and make peace with it.
I share this today in the hopes of breathing the wisdom of mindfulness to other parents.
~The mindful heart connects in Love, opens to learning, & breathes in relaxation and joy. ~
Rachel Morici-Leirer 