Sunday 18 December 2011

Small moments


I am a big fan of enjoying the small moments. Prior to the realisation that it is all the small moments that matter, I used to rely on future plans and ‘when I have this’ or ‘when I lose a few kgs’ to make me happy. Future planning for trips is fun of course, as is organising birthday celebrations and the like, however ‘entertainment’ is not the key to sustaining long-lasting joy. Once those events are over we are back to living life. I have realised that to make life, the day-to-day goings on, enjoyable, it is imperative to seek enjoyment over entertainment.

About eight years ago our family went through two very difficult events. During these two events my focus was my family, and I didn’t have thoughts too far outside of my family and was just trying to deal with the trauma that ensued. But once the sadness and feeling of loss had subsided and I had dealt with the pain, I started to find joy in the smallest of moments. Sitting with my son and just watching him talk, smiling at his expressions and his excitement when recalling a story. Sitting on the sand at the beach and just enjoying the smell of the air, the sound of the waves and the peacefulness of the moment. Sitting on the lounge on a Sunday afternoon and enjoying my surroundings, finding comfort in our home and the sound of our voices and laughter. I have realised through painful times that these are the things that matter the most. These are the moments. Yes the family vacations are also a time to relax and spend quality time together, but I find most comfort sitting in my humble home, surrounded by love.

As a 20 something I remember I had a permanent sense of anxiety, I was always on the look out for the next event to keep the excitement going. I was booking trips in advance to have something to look forward to. If I wasn’t out doing something I was looking for something to do. Or sleeping. I don’t recall just sitting at the dining table and enjoying a good cup of coffee, without an agenda. I didn’t like that feeling, I just didn’t know how to rid myself of it. So, to ensure the anxiety remained subdued I just searched for the next lot of entertainment to ensure I never got bored.  Looking back I feel sorry for the old me, how many of the small moments did I miss out on in my pursuit for entertainment I wonder. I’d say quite a lot.

A couple of days ago I was driving home from my brother’s house. I had my son and his three cousins in the car. They were chatting and laughing, making jokes and making me laugh. It dawned on me as I was driving, just how beautiful that very moment was. These kids were just enjoying the moment, they are quite simply loving life. And I was lucky enough to be a part of it. I know that being able to enjoy the moment comes with peace of mind and clarity, which I have actively searched for over the years, but I also feel it comes with the knowledge that life is in fact made up of small moments and that entertainment is only topping. At the heart of happiness is this very moment, the ‘now’. And the moment I grasped that I let go of expectations and disappointment and started truly living.

What are you loving about this very moment? What small joys make you smile?


{image source: Pinterest}

7 comments:

  1. It's so true isn't it Peggy, it really is just the small things that are so wonderful. My son's voice is incessant but if I really sit and listen to what he's saying it's so funny. At the moment he's running around the house pretending to ride a motorbike.

    I was one of those people too. "...I'll be happy when..." The problem with people is as soon as we get what we think will make us happy we start looking for the next thing. Better to just stop right now and appreciate.

    ReplyDelete
  2. So many, so many, so many. It's why I do the 'grateful' thing each week and I'm usually grateful for such riveting stuff as my toothbrush or shoes. It's those little things, those little moments, the little memories, that make up the best bits!

    Best wishes for a merry Christmas to you and your beloved family, Peggy. x

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a lovely post Peggy. Really lovely particularly as this has been on my mind lately. I like nothing more than to be at home with my family. I hate rushing around. I'm still learning to be 'still' in the moment and not let my mind get carried away with thoughts and plans, but I'm getting better. Much better than I used to be. I make a point of getting down to my son's level when he talks to me and really listening to what he's saying to me. And I'm making a real point of sloooowing down - otherwise you miss too much. Merry Christmas!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love those little moments. And you're right, if you get too caught up in life or busy they can breeze straight past you. I have learned a lot about my kids, and myself from these little moments.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm with you all the way on this Peggy. Never before have I sought so much joy and satisfaction and peace of mind with the simple things. My boys have definitely taught me that. I too, was a fly by the seat of my pants kinda gal in my late teens/twenties. Always going out, working, holidaying and more working. I rarely stopped to smell the roses. But I will say I did have a ball and whilst it is not the space I would want to be in nowadays, I don't regret a moment of it, nor think it was wrong to be like that then. Because that is but a phase and I'm now in another. The thing is, I'd like to hold onto this phase for as long as I possibly can. Because appreciating the simple things, feels darn good :o)
    Lovely post Peggy xo

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Peggy,

    Nodding all the way here! It's such a familiar story. It took me a long time to slow down after the birth of my first child as I was so used to accounting for every 6 minutes of my day in my former life. We are trekking around in a caravan before settling in Tasmania and although there is excitement, the trip is really about slowing down, spending time as a family without all the added distractions and just enjoying the little moments as you say.

    I liked this post a lot!

    Mel xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Being a mother has made me enjoy 'the moments' more than ever. When young you can be spoiled with time yet feel a constant urge to fill it up. I appreciate time and hold on those moments for as long as I can.

    It's funny, I'm having an incredibly hectic time at work and amongst the backdrop of some 'big and important' work outcomes, the highlight of my day was actually seeing that Amelie had one first prize in the 2-4 age category of my work's children colouring in competition :)

    ReplyDelete

I would REALLY love to hear your pretty thoughts. Since you're already here, why not leave me a comment?

Thank you for reading.

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.