Sometimes when there are so many good things to look forward to I find it so hard to live in the moment. I'm enjoying myself so much at the time that my mind races ahead to the next thing and then the something after that...when there's just so many great things at once or to follow I just can't seem to help myself! I'm reading such a great booked right now called "Too small to ignore"- on the importance of children. Not just because they are our future and who they will become and how they will greatly be of influence, but for how they are of influence NOW, and how they are valuable NOW as the children they are. I wanted to write down a brief part of one chapter:
"But on one scale, they are fully equipped from birth and are on par with every proud adult. What is this scale? They have as uch time as anyone else. Twenty-four hours each day, 168 hours each week- children enjoy the full allotment given to us all.
Of course, they don't know it as such. Their gift of time is subconscious. They certainly do not know how to measure time and thus how to allocate it scientifically. They keep no datebooks of palm pilots to tell them what should happen next.
Early in children's lives big people endeavor to teach them how to tell time...but while the science of telling time is difficult, the daily enjoyment of time by children proceeds unhindered Only gradually do time constraints start to make an impact."
These kids remind me of that- there is always time to play, there is always time to make something mundane and routine play, there is always time to be together without watching the clock for the next activity, the next something...It's just one of the many lessons that these children re teach me, and what this tour has shown me. We were not meant to live the North American life of being "too busy" that has somehow become so glorified- we need more to just breathe, enjoy, wonder, and simply relax.
There were so many good moments to enjoy in this one evening. Our hosts took Sarah, Rose, and I to climb huge sand dunes and for a picnic and campout bbq. While my hosts did all the picnic preparations I tried to keep up with the girls (too quick) pace up the dune, but I did a great job after reaching the top keeping up with them on the race back down! (I got beat out by the energetic toddler climbing up beside me but felt some reassurance in the two 10 year olds who fully collapsed halfway and just rolled in the sand)
Running down sand dunes for the night with two precious 8 year olds screaming, holding your hand, chasing you, and yelling at the top of their lungs in sheer excitement as their feet carried them uncontrollably downhill is one of the most carefree feelings.
Lydia, Scovia, and Ang joined us at the end of our picnic and ran a couple more times with us- Lydia took the jello from our picnic as her "mountain snack", conveniently needing a rest break every 10 seconds for a piece of purple jello square. Scovia turns to her and accusingly says "Lydia. Are you a snacker?" I mean really, taking on the same concerned tone as if she was asking someone "are you a smoker?" Quite funny. Sometimes I wonder if all the children I've ever met have ever made me laugh and smile so much.
One good thing after another, we went to the lake and swam- one of my ultime favourite feelings is to jump the waves- even better with 2 girls jumping with you clinging like little monkeys to your side!
After putting the girls to bed my host treated me to Moomoos icecream- a local icecream store on a dairy farm. Everything is home made and it was voted best icecream in the entire nation- I can no say I have enjoyed a waffle cone of the best white chocolate raspberry creamy iceceam in the nation! And I say goodnight to you now, already looking forward to when I wake up and get to enjoy my day off by the beach and in downtown Traverse City!
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