Today Anna and I had a conversation over lunch. I'm not sure how it started. She started talking about babies and how they grow in a Mommies tummy and that the mommies tummy gets really big. Then she said,
"Babies grow in Mommies tummy like a flower. It's like God sprinkling water and sunshine on us, so we grow and grow and grow."
I thought they were beautiful words from my 6 year old! Of course after she said it I had to run to the computer and jot it down so I wouldn't forget it. Anna, observing what I was doing said, "Mom, why are you writing that down. You better not be putting it on that blog." I asked her why. She responded, "Cause then everyone will read it." Maybe she was afraid that what she said sounded silly. I know she is really sensitive about that. I told her that I loved what she said...I thought it was very sweet and that I wanted to remember it.
Anyway, all this got me thinking. How often do I actually listen to my kids when they talk? There is constant noise in our home. Someone is always talking non stop all day. I realized today that I might just tune a lot of it out. Sometimes all the chatter can be tiring...and I long for a little silence. But I just wonder, have I missed sweet moments such as this with my little ones because I am filtering out all the noise? Or do I have my head stuck in the clouds, thinking about my own stuff, not paying attention to what is going on around me and miss out on the tenderness of childhood?
So, I am challenging myself to pay more attention and really listen to all the chatter. I know sometimes that's hard to do, especially when I am trying to get a million things down at once. But, sometimes the things they say are so innocent and insightful... and who couldn't use a little more of that in their life? :) I don't want my kids to be grown and be looking back wishing I had paid more attention. I want to treasure this time with them.
Thank you God for my kids and for the reminder today to stop and listen. These years are so short. Help me not to get so caught up in trying to catch a moment of silence that I miss out on the innocence of my children. Help me to respond to their thoughts and questions. Please Lord give me wisdom! I pray Lord that I would have encouraging uplifting words for my family. Help me to be the mom you want me to be. I pray that my eyes would not be on myself and my desires, but on Yours.
5 comments:
Amen! I find myself "getting through" the day... homework completed, dinner prepared, baths taken, but did I stop and look my daughter in the eye while she talked? Did I really listen to their stories or did I just keep saying umhm as they chattered, while I mentally made my grocery list? I work from home so I am often juggling tasks, and have been saddened as I looked back at the days and realized how often I was physically with them, but perhaps not mentally.
I have been working on being in the moment, being present wherever I am. These are the moments we truly live for, seems so silly to rush them or tune them out. I have even begun making it my prayer that God would show me when I am tuning out, and He has been faithful to do that :-)
Blesisngs!
These are the moments you will always remember.
I find, even now, how important it is to have special time for each of my children, whether it is a walk alone with them or a lunch date, or even staying up past my bedtime (teenagers) to listen to them open up. One on one time is priceless.
Hi Liz, Thanks for stopping by today. I enjoyed reading about your sweet family today. Looking forward to reading more. It is so nice to find other like minded moms. :)
WOW...I find myself doing this all the time! Your right, there does seem to be a constant noise in our house, but pretty soon that noise won't be there. I'm pretty sure I will miss it, so I too will try to be a listener and pay more attention to all that noise..:)
*Your words are always soooo uplifting and encouraging...keep writing ;) Love checking your blog!!!
I really love it when you write these. They are the posts that make me think more about my kids and how I interact with them. They make me love them even more! They also make me love your kids even more. You really do have sweet wonderful kids!
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