For my first post, I planned to write about a fun topic, like what to do with kids during the long days of winter (stay tuned) or ways I (occasionally) fit in exercise. However, a few things have remained stuck in my mind over the last week or so, and seeing this is a blog devoted to parents or parents-to-be, I felt it only natural to write about them from a mom-perspective.
Last Sunday’s news of Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crashing and the loss of nine people—parents who left kids behind, children who left parents behind—it was too hard to handle.
If you’re like me, I couldn’t sleep the night following the news. My stomach was sick. My chest and heart, heavy.
LYING IN BED, I SCROLLED THE CONSTANT FEEDS LOADED WITH MEMORIES, TRIBUTES AND YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL, SMILING FACES TAKEN TOO SOON.
I could not peel my eyes away from these photos and of the stories that went along with them. All I could imagine were these people in California whom I did not know, going through unbearable pain—and it ripped my heart out.
My overthinking and anxiety quickly made its comfortable way in as it naturally does. The fear of losing my husband flashed before my eyes. The fear of my husband and kids losing me caused sheer panic. The fear of losing a child. Nope, can’t even go there.
And then there was the Google Super Bowl commercial, “Loretta.” If you haven’t seen it, get ready for a tear-jerker. An older man is scrolling through old photos of his late wife. He asks Google to remember certain things about her. “Remind me Loretta hated my mustache,” and “Remember she always snorted when she laughed.” It ends with, “Remember I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
Sure, it was an ad selling Google, but it also had a powerful message for everyone, at any age, to
BE MINDFUL OF THE LITTLE THINGS WE MAY TAKE FOR GRANTED ABOUT OUR LOVED ONES.
Maybe the man really hated Loretta’s snort when she laughed, but now misses it more than anything. Ok, maybe he didn’t really hate it, but can’t we all relate to that idea?
When I started writing for Little Unicorn, I was already in love with the prints, the colors, the brand—all of it. So when they asked me to write a blog post, I was excited and nervous. I pushed it off because naturally, that’s how I work.
Like most parents, I tend to feel consumed and overloaded with all that has to be done in one single day. The chores, the messes, the do lists, social media…you know, life? How was I going to write about something close to my heart when I had two wild boys running around fighting for my attention?
Little Unicorn is based around the idea that childhood is fleeting. It’s a beautiful story. What they create is not just an item to buy for your baby, but a memory to keep forever. Like a photograph, their product is a reminder of the precious moments that fly by way too fast.
Through much procrastination and several “just give mommy a few more minutes,” because my head is spinning, I discovered that the raw and honest conversations we were having with each other after the devastating helicopter news was the realization that life is fleeting so make the most of it every second you can.
I’d been trying so hard to not only encompass this message in my Little Unicorn writing, but also carry it out in my daily life. The hardest realization was that most days, I felt like I was coming up short.
We’ve all heard our elders say, “Enjoy these days when they’re young. They’re the best times of your life.” We know this, we hear it all the time. So why then is it still so difficult to live in the moment, to spend our time more wisely, to show our loved ones how much we care?
This being my first blog post, I wanted to have a brilliant answer here, but all I could come up with is this:
Because it’s hard.
I’m guilty of being on my phone too much. I’m guilty of letting my two-year-old watch way too much Paw Patrol. Some days I go to bed thinking, I was not present with them at all today. While it is great to be more mindful, we can’t let it knock us down time and time again when we mess up.
Each day gives us new opportunities. Each moment after the last gives us a chance to reset.
I believe, if we’re open to it—life gives us constant opportunities to do better, to be more mindful, to tell our loved ones how we feel. It gives us the opportunity to make things right, over and over again.
It is not always through a tragedy or a Google ad, though. Maybe it’s an unexpected hug from your child that stops you in your tracks, or the smile on their face when you surprise them and get down on the floor to build a tower or play dolls. It can be sharing the joy of a perfectly blue sky with them, making homemade pizzas and not worrying about the mess, or making a few extra splashes during bath time, because it’s just more fun for them.
THESE SMALL, BEAUTIFUL, FLEETING MOMENTS ARE THERE FOR THE TAKING.
We just have to be willing to take them and make the very most of them.
