I got these beautiful little flowers from my eldest daughter the other day. It was hectic and close to dinner time. She told me about them, but I was so busy that I didn’t actually stop to acknowledge and appreciate her gift. I’ve got to be honest I didn’t actually remember them until the next day when I found them on the table!
I felt pretty sad and guilty that I hadn’t stopped for even 30 seconds to be present with my daughter. It would’ve been pretty easy to get down on myself and allow my self-talk to get pretty shameful. I chose to do something else. I took a photo and sent it through to my daughter’s Educator. Within that text I said how wonderful the flowers were and thanked my daughter for them. Also I put them on our table so we can see them. I chose to be kind to myself and still show my daughter my appreciation in some way.
It’s pretty crazy at the moment with the newborn, but I will certainly try to be more present for my eldest daughter next time. I’m showing her what it means to be human after all, which is far more important than getting 100% right!
What are you doing to be present with your loved ones? Where could you be kinder to yourself and simply be human?
