I know we have all heard the term Mindfulness.
And we are all made aware of the good of “being in the moment.”
To be “in the moment” requires that you are thinking, feeling and immersing yourself in whatever task you are doing or whatever place you are.
It means using all your senses to really focus on the moment you are in.
So easily said, but not so easily done.
This mindfulness is not something that is new to me, just something that is a bit hard to achieve all the time because life gets so busy.
And especially so when you have a child with special needs.
It seems that life is a go.
-From the moment you know something is wrong
-To the moment you get a diagnosis
-To the journey of therapies
-To the everyday life and its work
You are on a different path than most, one that requires a steady pace. One that requires stamina and focus. One that does not allow, usually, for opportunity to be Mindful because there are too many things that require us to be pragmatic, planned and scheduled.
I was thinking, again, about this concept of mindfulness this past week, partially because we just entered Summer time and mostly because our schedule is much less structured now then during the year. Let’s face it, I had a bit of extra free time, not usually provided.
-With this extra time I have been able to be more mindful:
-I noticed that as I was not clutching the steering wheel of my car, with one eye on the clock, I could see that the sky was a really pretty blue today.
-I noticed that when I stepped outside to play with Michael, that the air smelled so much like Summer, a mixture of grass, sunscreen and—well sunshine.
-I became aware of just how happy Elizabeth looked this morning as we planned out our day. “I am so happy to be off, Mom!” Was how it was stated.
I became aware of so many things, now that my usual school treadmill has been turned off.
And between you and me, I simply love it.
A lot!
This mindfulness lets in the really precious stuff that can at times be overlooked.
I think as we work so hard for our children, we should give ourselves the gift of enjoying these moments as fully as we are able.
So how do you do this whole “Mindful” thing? For me it starts with taking a deep breath and opening my eyes and telling myself to really see what is in front of me.
To really feel whatever I am holding.
To really smell the air and exhale out any stressful thoughts.
To let my heart hold onto the memory of what I am seeing.
I know we can see many things that make our hearts sad, like when our children struggle to talk/communicate or do a task. So allowing the good things to take hold allows us to remember the good stuff—the successes. Maybe carving out more mindful moments amidst all the day to day stuff would be a good goal for us all….me included!
I guess this blog is my way of saying that each person deserves the right and joy that comes with more mindfulness.
It is my way of encouraging others as they walk their own journey.
I wish everyone a peaceful, mindful month.
-Michele Gianetti
Michele writes for TalkTools Blog every month about her experience caring for Elizabeth, her daughter with Sensory Processing Disorder and Dyspraxia. Follow her story since the beginning here.