A Morning Walk

 Today, I got both kids ready and we headed to the gym. I was looking forward for my alone time and workout, and my kids were ready to eat their snacks in the kids center. But the kids center was at full capacity, and I had to choose a new plan. 

I offered my son two options of where we could go walking, and he chose the park with birds because his sister would "love it" in his own words. We got to the park, and get ready for our walk. My son was so excited to show his sister all the ducks in the lake. 

We started our walk, and he pointed out every goose and duck. He would tell me to turn the stroller towards the birds, so she could see them. We would watch the birds, and he would point to the next group. We listened to the different bird sounds and watched the different bird behaviors. Some ducks were looking for food in the lake, and some geese were starting a fight with the incoming geese who was just landing. It was an action filled walk full of birds. 

At one point, I found an egret, and I told my son to be quiet so we wouldn't scare the bird (the quiet volume is rarely used in our home). He nodded and whispered to me about the bird. We walked towards the egret, and then it flew away. 

It was a peaceful morning, and I got my morning walk in. 

But as I got home, I realized something. This morning walk was about 40 minutes long, and we were mostly alone. It seemed pretty small and meaningless, since it didn't match my original morning plan. 

But, it was full of teaching moments, and moments where I gained appreciation towards my son. 

My son showed me how he has matured. He thought about her needs first. This happens, but there are still lots of moments where what he wants is the most important thing. But, I gained so much appreciation for the sweetness my son was showing to my daughter. He was the kind big brother who was providing his sister an experience he knew she would love. 

To others this walk might of just looked like a mom walking with her two kids, but my kids practiced mindfulness. I have found that kids are often very good at mindfulness by living in the present. When my son is doing something he loves, he is in the moment. This was one of the moments. Our eyes were on a mission to find the next bird, and our ears were listening to the bird calls.

Often times, I think we downplay on the our impact in how we interact with others and the world. We look at a morning walk, and think it was just a replacement because the gym was full. What if it was a mindfulness teaching moment and a way for a brother to show selflessness? What if it was a way to teach your children to love nature and appreciate the small things? 

We can all do this, but I think it requires time to slow down and just be present. We often live with a rushed pace while thinking about our never-ending to-do list. 

Maybe it's time to pause, and see the good things that are happening around you.