But now the kids have been back to school for two weeks. And I miss the summer.
My life is back to running around constantly, rushing from one thing to another and not being able to truly focus on any one thing to get it done. I find myself living by my “to do” list. Every little item in my life is written down on one of my several lists. If it is not written down, it can’t possibly be important enough to do it today. My mind is in constant motion thinking and worrying about everything that needs to click into place before my head can hit the pillow at night.
This weekend, while out on a spur of the moment nature walk with my husband and kids, we all stopped and listened to the birds chirping. The kids were happily guessing how many different birds they could hear up in the trees and I found myself sad. Most of my days, I am too wrapped up in my “to do” lists and being productive, that I forget to spend these important moments with my children. Moments where we aren’t accomplishing anything I can cross off my list or check off on my calendar, just sharing a moment together.
As we walked back to the car holding hands, I thanked my husband for reminding me to slow down and simply enjoy our family moments. He smiled and squeezed my hand a little tighter. Heading into a week that I know will be full of impossible-to-complete-on-time tasks, I smile at the memory of the birds chirping. They remind me to make time in my day for items that aren’t productive or on my lists, but are the most important after all.
