I was talking to a friend on the phone last week. He asked how I was.
I said I was feeling a bit like a zombie, Sam (my youngest) got me up at 2am in the morning to watch the Perseid meteor shower.
His reply, Are you complaining?
I could sense my friend was trying to make a point.
I hesitated and thought for a minute about the question. (Your son wants you to share a magical moment with him and you’re complaining). Of course my friend didn’t blurt that out but I knew that’s what he was implying.
NO, I’m not complaining Don, was my reply.
I realized that in general I complain too much. It made me rethink how I converse with others and more importantly how I look at the time I spend with my family. Each moment is to be savored and treasured for they are only gifted to us for such a short time.
So I am tired for a day, so what. I got to spend a magical evening with my youngest son.
My husband managed to capture this fabulous shot on Thursday evening.
Sam, his brother and sister and my husband and I watched the Perseid meteor shower on Thursday evening until midnight. We had been told we would have a better chance of seeing more flashes in the sky on Friday between 2-3am so I promised Sam (who was incredibly excited about seeing even more meteors ) that we would set the alarm clock. It was definitely worth the early rise. We saw some spectacular bursts of light shoot across the sky but it was the whole excitement of being outdoors, snuggled in a blanket with Sam staring up at the sparkling sky, listening to the natural sounds of the crickets’ chorus and the owls hooting that made it so magical.
In the vastness of the universe, our planet is smaller than a grain of sand in the desert, but we perceive Earth as large and permanent because we are so much smaller than it is, and our lives so brief by comparison…………A reminder that life is short.
The Joy of being outdoors (A blog post from last year).
I will be a long time dead. What a joy to be alive and have a family that loves me and beautiful friends to share time with. Life truly is a gift.
Thank you my beautiful friend for the reminder of how precious life is.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Such a lovely post, M! It’s so easy to fall in the trap of “complaining”, even when we don’t think we are. Nice reality check.
xo- Bethe
Dearest “M”,
What you did for beautiful Sam is WHY we are here! What you did for Sam is HOW we shape the future of the planet, how you shape his future, and how he decides to treat Earth and other species. What you did with Sam teaches him what to do with HIS children. He will one day sit out under the stars with his own son(s) or daughter(s) and tell them how: “Mom used to do this with me. I remember one night we set the alarm clock and she got up with me and we took a blanket and went out and watched the Perseid meteor shower.” And his kids will ask, “What’s that Dad?” And he will be able to tell them.
It is not necessarily the BIG things that change our world, protect the planet, or teach our children to love Nature. NO. It is doing what you did with Sam that changes lives, and feed his soul. Children instinctively KNOW that they are part of Nature, that they ARE Nature. They are hungry to connect.
I am deeply grateful. You have given Sam more than spiritual junk food (TV, Cell phone, Computer games, ipod and more), you have given him the REAL world, the LIVING world. Bless you dear friend.
Much love,
Robin
Although, I am way too old to have children and chose not to for a variety of reasons (raised a lot of younger brothers, at too young an age, etc.) Sam is the kind of son I would have been VERY proud to raise.
Oh Robin, your words are so true, children ARE nature and hungry to connect, they just need to be given the opportunity to do so. Thank you for your beautiful words and blessings my dearest friend. xx
Beautiful post, M! When I read about Sam waking you to watch the meteor shower, I secretly hoped my kids would have done the same thing if they’d been older. Funny, huh? Losing my dad last year was an awakening to realize just what you talk about here – our time here is short & not worth spent complaining. I try to remind myself of that when I feel frustrated or short on energy, especially with the kids. We are truly blessed & every day is meant to be lived to the fullest. I hope I can pass that idea on to my boys.
Thank you for this meaningful post. And… what a great meteor shot!
What a great reminder for all of us! I can really use it right now (at 9pm and the kids not going to sleep). Our kids are only kids for such a short time.
Thank you Mel, Deb and Claudia.