Imagine that everything around you is fascinating. Trees, brimming with life-giving oxygen, provide homes for countless creatures. Above your head, the vast sky protects you from the universe. Cars, powered by their engines, zoom past, while electricity and running water flow seamlessly into your home. WiFi connects you to the world. Your coffee machine frothing milk is a miracle; your vacuum cleaner sucking in dust is a miracle; every aspect of your surroundings is infused with magic. Each item, whether big or small, has a story behind it waiting to be explored. You are alive.
When we think of ourselves at the age of 3, we see the world as an exciting place full of things to learn and explore. We are naturally present, and our imagination blooms. However, at a certain point, we find ourselves less amused, and the world begins to lose its magic, transforming into our daily ‘shoulds,’ ‘musts,’ and ‘ifs’.
As parents, we have an opportunity to experience the world from our children’s perspective, which is so different from ours – it’s full of fairies, dragons, adventures, and explorations… Every time we choose to be present with them, we can choose to be a part of their world and let go of everything else.
Imagine that everything around you is fascinating. Trees, brimming with life-giving oxygen, provide homes for countless creatures. Above your head, the vast sky protects you from the universe.
I love my daughter’s make-believe plays and often imagine how she sees the world at the moment… I imagine sparkles when she pretends to be Frozen and throws her hands around to make magic, or a jungle when she says we are in one. I enjoy our tea parties, ballet performances, and dinosaur races.
When she was a baby, I used to think about how she felt in my arms, and as she grows older, I will continue to explore her world.
As moms, we have so many commitments every day that at the end of the day, we might realise that we barely spend any time with our little ones. But this is what we will one day cherish the most and what means so much to our children, much more than any presents we can buy at a store. Whenever we are present with them, it means they are our priority, they are worth our time and attention.
And thus, regardless of how old your child is, sit with them, be there, make eye contact, hold their hand, cherish the moments you have together. Everything can wait, all your commitments, even if just for a few minutes. If you have a baby, try to imagine how comforting it is for them to hear your voice or feel the warmth of your hug. If your kids are small, enjoy their fascinating world. If they are a bit older, just be with them, regardless of what they do, and try to understand their reality at the given moment. And then, perhaps, look around and imagine that everything is magic.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
~Albert Einstein
Ivana Separovic is a Holistic Therapist and Nutritionist. She has spent years practising mindfulness, which has helped her to navigate the ups and downs of motherhood. Visit the Mindful Original website to find out more and join their communities on Facebook and Instagram.
