Being Present

We had a perfect start to the week.  We spent Monday – the last day of our summer school holidays – at Litchfield National Park.

Litchfield is the closest national park to Darwin and has some really fantastic waterfalls and swimming spots.

We usually plan on doing at least two of the three main swimming spots with lunch in between, but this visit ended up differently. 

Rohan fell asleep.  He fell asleep on my chest while I was sitting in a floating pool ring/seatthingy.  (Splashing in the water is hard work!)  As a result we spent our entire visit at the one swimming spot and I learnt a valuable lesson.

Okay, so I already know how important it is to live in the moment; to pay attention to your thoughts, your actions, how you interact with others – especially your children; to practice mindfulness.  It’s very hard to do- especially when life is so busy.  There are so many places to go, so much housework to do, so many children to feed and deadlines to meet. 

And though I want to be mindful there are times - like when I’m scrubbing the toilet- that, quite frankly, I’m okay with daydreaming about relaxing in a hammock next to Aitutaki lagoon in the Cook Islands.  Yes, my daydreams are rather specific!

But, when Rohan fell asleep on me, I was given permission.  Permission to let go.  Permission to just BE PRESENT. 

Not to think about the time, not to list what had to be done/cleaned/cooked, not to worry about the other children (who were having a blast climbing rocks and/or jumping off things with their father.  Okay, I worried a little!) 

For 30 to 45 minutes – and it doesn’t even bother me that I don’t know how long he slept! – I was present.  I focused on the feeling of the water, the pull of the current, the dappled sun on my skin, the wind through the trees and the precious little bundle asleep on my chest.

He won’t be this little for long and I got to treasure his perfection without any many distractions.  Bliss!

 

For more information about the Northern Territory see here.