I was washing poop off of cloth diapers today. My one year old toddling at my feet back and forth. I was thinking about those families who lost their first graders at Sandy Hook.
With a cloth diaper in my hands, I thought, maybe some of these children were cloth diapered as babies. Maybe their mothers washed the diapers just like I am doing now. Then I thought...
"It doesn't matter now."
It doesn't matter. Cloth diapers don't matter. What they wear doesn't matter. Going places just to go doesn't matter. Toys and presents don't matter. My blog doesn't really matter. So many things in life don't matter. I started thinking about all the things that do matter.
Listening to my children when they talk to me matters.
The time I spend playing with them matters.
The time, thought, and love I put into nourishing them matters.
Going through the day without grumbling matters.
Loving them no matter what they do, matters.
Living without fear matters.
Pursuing your dreams matters.
Eating meals together matters.
Using your time and resources to help the poor and needy matters.
Being thankful matters.
Putting your family above work matters.
Sharing your faith with them matters.
Turning the TV or computer off to spend time together matters.
Not ever taking tomorrow for granted matters.
What matters to you?
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Thank you so much for the reminders...great list to live by for 2013 & beyond...:-)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I myself have been reminded the very same thing by other bloggers again and again. :)
DeleteYou are so right. I read another blog post today that touched on this. We don't want to miss this. We are SO blessed to have it. http://www.handsfreemama.com/2012/05/07/how-to-miss-a-childhood/
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the link! I read that blog post a while back and was glad to read it again. I don't own a smart phone or a cell phone (for health reasons), so I'm glad I don't have that distraction. But I am still very distracted with my computer. I'm glad it is in our 3rd floor attic so it makes it inconvenient to check email all the time - which is good, it forces me to focus more on the kids when we are playing downstairs and I'm not as distracted as I would be if we had say a laptop in the kitchen. I go to the playground with my kids without a phone and all the other parents I see there are here on their smart phones, not at all present with the kids. It makes my heart ache! I am so glad to have had a childhood with my mother free of distractions like this, I had her full attention most times! :)
DeleteThis is so true!! It's not the physical things that matter, its the moments we spend with our family that truly matter :)
ReplyDeleteWe all know it too, it's so hard to remember that on a daily basis when we have so much on our plate :)
DeleteI often have to tell myself these things. I'll get so wrapped up in what needs to be done that I don't realize that I haven't spent enough time with my son, and I'll stop what I'm doing and go do just that.
ReplyDelete:) Same here, I really have to be mindful about how I use my time and how the kids view it. I know I'll never regret spending 'too much time' with them when they are all grown up!
DeleteSo thoughtful and so true - forget the "stuff" and focus on the now and your experiences!
ReplyDeleteSo very true, physical things come and go, but the time you
ReplyDeletespend with family and friends all always tucked away in your heart
This is so true. I remember hearing once that instead of remembering the two times your toddler threw all out tantrums today means forgetting the rest of the day that was happy and fun. The events that happened made me realize that I can do everything "right" but if I forget to love them, and show them love, it will all be worth nothing.
ReplyDelete