Being Present: Lessons from a Toddler

My two-year-old will stop dead in his tracks, drop to his knees, and examine a crack in the sidewalk.  Picking at the dirt and following ants as they dart in and out of the crevasse.  He will examine the movement of clouds sliding across the Summer sky and discover the most fascinating rocks.  He sees buildings I have never noticed and sounds I have tuned out.  His awareness has led me into a new mindfulness that has dulled with time.  

Viewing the world through the fresh eyes of a toddler is an unexpected gift.  It has pulled me from the regiment of the expected and mundane, into experiencing the day in an entirely new way.  Colors are more vibrant, the wind curious, and the hum of an airplane melodic.  We take time to take it all in.  We slow down.  He teaches me to stop and look at what surrounds us – to look at life.  

How many times are we caught in the hustle and bustle and don’t see what is directly in front of us?  We buy our groceries without acknowledging the bagger.  We ride an elevator gazing directly forward.  People on the street are oftentimes practically invisible.  We’re moving forward with blinders on – not to be bothered.  

What if we looked around?  Noticed one another again and appreciated the beauty of what is right in front of us?  To remind ourselves that we do not live in a vacuum and, maybe, just maybe, we are all connected.  

A child changes our lens.  Instead of tuning out, we begin tuning in.  Letting the smells and sounds of ordinary, regular life become extraordinary again.  Although it takes deliberate effort at times, I stop.  I sit with him.  And we watch the world go by together.  Even if it involves a parade of ants on the sidewalk.