Finding Myself in the Moment

My son turned one just a little over a month ago- and watching him grow and change takes my breath away. Time is slipping through my fingers, and it feels bittersweet.

Lately, I've been challenged and struggling to balance work and family life. It's been hard for me to learn to protect our time together, and even harder to make a little for myself. What has helped, while I remain imperfect, is mindfulness.

"Today is done. Tomorrow hasn't come yet. You can set it all down for now."

I start with a few deep breaths and turn off the running lists of to-dos, the looming deadlines, and the unfinished tasks. I think of a familiar phrase from a favorite bedtime meditation, "Today is done. Tomorrow hasn't come yet. You can set it all down for now." Then I let myself just be with him.

While no one should take my word for it, the funny thing is, it all still does get accomplished. But with a little attention to my breath and an effort to clear my thoughts, I'm able not to miss out on my fleeting time with my baby.

The to-dos will wait. The busy pace of grown-up life will resume when we're ready. But the minutes we have with them at this age are finite and comparatively brief. Let us be present with them. Let us be happy. Let us be well. Let us be.