Whether we have children or not, presence is a practice. Sometimes we need little reminders to be still and cherish the peaceful moments. Tonight my daughters were sitting together on the floor just before bedtime. As I walked by them, putting clothes in the hamper, one of them called to me and said, “sitta minut Mama”. Sit a minute. Isn’t that all anyone ever wants? To simply sit with someone and share space for a few minutes. Shared, undivided attention, space.
I think life offers us these moments of grace if we are paying attention to them. Moments to stop from the hustle and bustle and remember to take a breath. Take a minute to sit with our children, family, friends, or strangers at the bus stop. Take a minute to breathe. To just sit. When do we ever just sit?
Lately life has felt like full steam ahead. Multi-tasking on speed. Because of this, I am always consciously trying to practice presence. My new favorite effort towards this is that I have learned to turn off email notifications. (Yes, you can do that!) So now, I choose when to look at my email. I am also choosing to put my phone down. (This one I also thank my daughters for because I simply don’t have hands.) I’m learning to text back later. To listen to voicemails later. To work when I can. I am truly learning to be conscious with my time, especially because I have two humans who are learning from my every move. They notice. Also, they deserve to be noticed. We all do.
Presence is a practice. It’s also an invitation.
I invite you to sitta minut. Perhaps even invite someone to join you.
Let’s rise,
