Today I've found my first quiet moments in weeks! I don't know exactly when life became so hectic, when life started feeling more like sitting dead centre in the middle of a whirlwind than the tranquil island life we were basking in not so long ago; but as always we try our best to brace our selves through those windy weeks and do our best to ride with the tide rather than to oppose it.
So what's exactly has life been like lately? A never ending list of projects, assignments and deadlines for the kids. A malfunctioning printer to print required assignments and one or the other always needing my laptop to do their work on. On the plus side, the kids have been working independently or in groups with friends, but it still requires involvement on some level from me - 'cos what ever gets done without a little shouting from Mom!
Life has also been akin to cramming all your most sentimental items hurriedly into a backpack when you've been given a minutes notice to leave your home...only in my case we've been trying to cram in as many memories with my brother and his family who were down from the UK for the month of August. Obviously, amidst all the general busyness of life at this time of the year, we tried to make the most of our little time together. This meant back to back weekends that were busier than usual with no time to recover in between. On the plus side, we managed to cram enough memories into that little backpack that we will carry with us for a lifetime!
Then...there was Eid week!
And two days after that my phone got stolen...
And now here we are, almost midway through September and bracing ourselves as we head full throttle toward the end of year madness! Which is why I decided to have an unplugged Sunday this past weekend. It meant putting my phone away for the entirety of our family outing yesterday. Which meant no pictures of the beautiful Cape Town scenery even though the city was really showing off. It meant no selfies to prove we were out there enjoying the sun...no stolen pictures of the kids...no social media posts and NO technology between me and them. Which means, for the first time in a long time, I was truly 100% present. They had my undivided attention and it was glorious!
I had conversations with my eight year old that I haven't had in ages! We chatted about earthquakes and tornados and tsunamis and life. And I can't even remember when last we had these kinds of talks...when last I really listened to all his questions.
My almost 14 year old who never ever really shows any other emotion besides happy, had a moment of vulnerability and it made me realise that sometimes we take the jolly kids for granted and think that they need less of us because they seem ok...but really, they need us as much as everyone else and it took this moment for me to realise that I often overlook his needs.
And then my oldest, who I often classify as moody, was just really, really happy that we spent a Sunday doing simple things, together. Proof that all teens really want is a little love, recognition, and undivided attention from their parents.
And that's life as it is right now! When life gets this busy, you realise how quickly time is passing and it makes you wonder if we're really doing enough. Are we merely allowing time to pass, or are we really and truly seizing every moment and making the best of it? For me, there will always be a whirlwind spinning around...but it's in the unplugged moments, in the valuable time with my family where I find the calm that keeps me centred through it all.
Thanks for reading!
Peace,
NAMU:)
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