Appreciating wonderful things while they are happening

"Mama, I'm losing my mind," said the stressed-out young mother.
"You've certainly got your hands full," said her mother.
"Two kids and no child support have gott my hands full and my head spinning," said the daughter.
"Honey, I know it's bad, but you'll look back on this as the most fulfilling time of your life."
"Maybe for you and Dad, but not for me."
"You'll see. I only wish that I could have appreciated the wonderful things that happened - while they were happening."
"What wonderful things?  Not enough sleep?  Not enough money?"
"I've found," said the mother, "that the art of living is to seek in the present all that is wonderful and just put up with the rest..."


..."What's so great about this moment?" she asked, when out of the bed room clomped a gorgeous, naked three-year-old wearing his sister's rain boots and helmet made of underpants.  The mother whooped and then felt such a stab of love that she skipped from tears of laughter to tears of joy without missing a beat.
Remembering what her mother had said, the young woman wrote a list of all the little joys of the last two days.
And then she started doing the same thing at the end of every day.


Her life stayed the same but her perspective of life changed and she changed- and only then did her life change.

from "Zen Fables For Today" by Richard Mclean
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This story speaks to many of the devoted parents who share similar experiences.   We know that it is difficult to balance the life of our own and our children.
We all have limitations of what we are capable of doing, but one small thing like writing down what joy they bring to our life makes us pause and appreciate the joyful moment.