Do you postpone joy?
You know what I mean. Sidestep your spouse’s kiss because you have to get the kids up for school? Hurry your child along the sidewalk when she’s doing her dance steps? Refuse your kids’ invitation to a snowball fight? Turn away from the sunset because you have to fix dinner? Miss out on reading to your kids now that they can read their own bedtime stories? Wish you could take a bubble bath but check your email instead?
We’re all guilty of taking the joy that pours into our lives for granted. We let it slip right through our fingers, in the name of efficiency and responsibility.
But what if revelling in that joy is part of what makes you a more inspired parent? What if you and your spouse need those kisses to stay connected so you’re a better parenting team? What if enjoying your daughter’s dancing on the sidewalk helps her start the day basking in your love? What if that snowball fight is just what you need to defuse tension and re-connect with your kid? What if those bedtime stories give your child the much-needed message that you’ll always be there for a snuggle, no matter how old she gets? What if that bubble bath would help you be a more patient parent tomorrow? What if you never know which sunset is your last?
Would you do anything differently? Why not start today?
“ Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.” – William Feather