Whenever my world spins too fast or too slow, one thing gets me on even keel again --- spending time with my dogs. Sometimes my world shrinks to the size of the puny ball Maxie and I play with. But when I see her chasing after it and coming back to me for another toss with a glimmer in her eye, my heart melts. Same thing when Lucky and Buddy gaze up at me with tails wagging wildly, I weaken in my resolve to be sad.
In this particular afternoon, the four of us cramped ourselves on the weathered bench in the garage. It’s placed fronting the street and affords us our favorite pastime – watching people (mine) and animals (theirs) go by. With Lucky sitting on my lap and Buddy and Maxie filling up the space at the other end of the bench, it felt good just being there – all four of us.
With such an idyllic moment you would think that I would let it ride without a single thought crossing my mind. The answer is ‘No’... and you know that by now I’m sure. It’s especially on moments like this that thoughts come tip-toeing their way into my mind. :-)
Let’s see what we have this time.
Look behind you and see who or what has fallen off your backpack. --- Somebody once said that “One day at a time, whether you go slow or fast, will still get you there.” So then perhaps there really is no point in the maddening race to get where you want to be -- Unless you are to die tomorrow. In which case good sense will tell you that you’ll be smarter to enjoy what you have today – in the here and now.
A good friend’s son is rushing through his masters while holding on to his job because he has his eyes set on making it big at thirty-five. So he burns the night lamp studying and works at the grindstone during the day with meetings, projects, reports, and series of office events. It’s good no doubt. But in the mad rush to get there he failed to see that essential things have fallen off his backpack. These things he carried with him at the early start of his journey but these got tossed and shoved about in his pack that it fell off it by the wayside quite unnoticed.
Two things undoubtedly fell off his pack and – will fall off yours, too... if you’re not careful.
The first things which become greatly affected by the harried race you take on towards your goal are family and relationships. They are the ones who you stand up or pass up for dinner, or forget to remember their special days and occasions, or push aside requests for your time and attention, or come home very late nights to, or gruffly shut your bedroom door to, or make promises to which you know you can’t even keep. They are the first to fall off your backpack -- the first ones to be hurt by you, intentionally or not.
Secondly is -- you. I mean ‘you’ before you started out on this mad mad race. Tell me, where now is that person who had time to be with family and too enjoy good banter with buddies and friends? Where is that hero who used to sit next to a nephew or niece and together contemplate the mysteries of the universe? Where is that poet who would stand in awe and wonder at a gorgeous sunset or thrill at the signs of early spring? And where is that adoring son or daughter who would come home to Mom with a bouquet of roses on Mother’s Day or bring Dad his favorite beer on Father’s Day? Where is that person who held priorities were it should be – in one’s heart? Look behind you, my friend, because SOMETHING of you might have fallen off your backpack, too!
Wisdom from Baby’s Do-Day ---- When I saw the small child shake himself free from the father’s hand, I thought to myself “Oh...Oh... We got a problem here.” The kid wobbly on his tiny chubby legs wasn’t yet a walker, which I could see. Yet he was determined to set out on his own unaided. So he ambled zigzagging to nowhere as his father, a bit surprised, yet keenly watched close by. The little one now quite giddy and giggly by his tiny adventure upped his pace faster. That apparently was a mistake. He tripped himself and fell on his butt on the ground. I immediately shifted my gaze to the father, saw him quickly assess the situation but seeing that the child was unhurt coolly approached intent to help him up.
Funny thing is, the child on seeing his father coming near turned to face him and went on all fours crawling until he got close with nary a whimper or tear. When he got to where his dad was (who now stood still), he clutched hard on his lower pants with tiny hands and pulled himself up until he was standing on his feet! Having done that, he looked up at his dad and smiled brightly. And if I may say so, he seemed quite pleased with his achievement. With a hearty laugh, the father scooped up his son and gave him a big kiss of approval and off they went back to their house.
Sure enough the kid made it good on his own brand of spunk and guts. And his wise father was unlike most parents – he understood very well the need for his son to try out things on his own but safely. He wisely gave his son the room and space he needed to discover things by himself, to grow, and learn. Yet he made sure that he was close --to be there when his son needed him to be there. It worked beautifully all in the right places!
Oh gee, there’s more to tell you but my tummy’s grumbling. I didn’t realize that it’s close to dinnertime already. We have it early here. The sun having now gone down the horizon behind the mountains has turned down the curtain on the day for me and my dogs. So then see you with more in the next ‘ish. Bye for now. God bless you!
posted on Friday, June 01, 2007 7:29 AM
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