After more than 5 years, our family was able to go on
holiday. We spent 10 days at the coast,
5 with family and 5 days at a resort.
In the days before we went on holiday, my mind was filled
with all the things that I usually worry about : meals; are the kids spending too
much time on devices; the piles of laundry that can’t get done because it’s
raining; is everyone’s schedules organised; making sure everyone is on time for
everything; are the kids safe…..the list goes on and on.
This time, though, I was determined to relax and be present
with my family, so I made a conscious effort to not worry about all these
things – well, for 10 days at least!
By letting go, I learnt quite a few things over the 10 days:
Things don't always go according to plan, and that's ok. We saw these as an adventure on our holiday,
and these are the events that become memorable.
I was reminded of what is really important. It wasn’t laundry and schedules and food, it
was spending time with my family and creating memories.
I learnt to focus on those important things first, and that
the rest will fall in place.
One of the big lessons for me was to let go of the things
that I can’t control. It allowed me to
be in the moment, and truth be told, it made me feel physically lighter. I didn’t feel like I had to carry so many
responsibilities.
Another “letting go” lesson was that I needed to let my kids
try to do different things and on their own.
As much as I want to protect them, when they tried different things,
they felt a sense of accomplishment which added to their confidence. Trying different things that don’t go as
expected also teaches them what they are capable of and how they can learn from
it.
New experiences also taught me about my personal limitations
and what I can do, even when I think that I can’t do it.
Time goes by very quickly.
Parents age, kids grow up and become adults. When you’re so busy with the day to day, you
don’t notice it. And, when you look up
from your to-do list you realise how much you’ve missed.
Look up from time to time and connect with the people that
are important to you.