The Practice of Blooming

I remember a tiny plaque my mom often kept promimently displayed in her kitchen. It said, "Bloom where you're planted." For a long time, I didn't really understand the meaning, and then one day I wised up to the command that accompanied the tiny flower on the plaque. It made sense to me; especially in light of the fact that our family moved more than any of us really wanted to. I'm sure my mother had to remind herself of the sentiment often. Find happiness here. Enjoy this moment.

Now that I'm the mom of my little family, I need this same reminder. I don't need it because of adjusting to the new towns, houses, and jobs that my parents did, but I feel the weight of the wisdom all the same. For me, parenting - as in life - can be a series of wishes and hopes. Although I guess there's nothing wrong with wishing and hoping, at some point I must look around and see all the blossoms in my life and in my situation.

Benjamin has truly filled my world with more color and fragrance than I thought was possible before I met him. My practice in parenting is to celebrate each day and try to see the grandness of the small moments we're sharing together. Instead of focusing on what he will do someday (poop in the potty) and what he once did back then (sleep in my arms), I must work to see the blooms of this season. Instead of day dreaming about over-sized bathtubs (who doesn't?) and expensive vacations (San Francisco would be nice), I must recognize the beauty of this place right here. Please understand, that seeing such things is a challenge for me, but I know that I am happiest and surely a better parent when I appreciate my family, our nest, and our world just as it appears today.

Benjamin exploring in the backyard last month

Resolutions

I’m a procrastinator. In fact, I never keep New Year’s resolutions because I rarely even set them to begin with. I never get around to it! So, I’ve decided to try the “one word” approach this year.

My word for 2012 is believe.

I hope to be more conscious of my beliefs  - to ask myself more often, "What do I believe is really important in this moment?" I want to see the big picture in my everyday life. Then I hope to use this knowledge to guide my actions, words, thoughts, and resources. For example, I believe in the power of prayer, in writing often, and in reading everyday; therefore, I should spend more hours of my day doing these things than I do watching television.
Eek! Did I just say that out loud?

I know this will not be easy for me, but I’m excited about focusing on one word. 

Want to join me? Read more about it here!

 Source: Sprik Space via  Amanda on Pinterest

Moving Right Along

  The last two months of 2011 have been very busy for the Pattillo family. As we end another year, I’m so thankful for our family and friends who make our lives richer and brighter.

At Thanksgiving, we made our annual trek to Alabama and spent six days sharing food, fun, and a (thankfully big) house with the very large Pattillo family. We all enjoyed the beauty of the ocean. It was so refreshing to be out in the sunshine and hear the sounds of nature. As always, the kids really had a great time playing together. Meanwhile, the adults marveled at what family gatherings will be like as the band of grandkids gets older and larger. It certainly made me wish we all lived closer and could spend more time together.

 

 

December has been full of celebrating with family and friends, shopping like mad, and of course, eating to our hearts’ content. We’ve had parties with friends and co-workers, continued traditions and merry-making with family in Midland, and all the other great stuff that comes along with Christmas time. I think it’s been as happy as it possibly could be. Benjamin has had such a month of fun; I’m hoping that his memory bank is full of holiday magic to look back on someday. (If his memory fails, I will have much photographic proof of just how nice it’s been.)

 

As we roll into 2012, I hope for continued blessings and everyday miracles. 

Happy New Year!

And to All a Good Night...

photo.JPG, a photo by RobinPattillo on Flickr.

Merry Christmas!

November in New York

There was sidewalk strolling.
There was bus ride clinging.
There was playground exploring.
There was marathon running.
There was people watching.
There was stomach bug enduring.
There was taxi cab hailing.
There was sight seeing.

But mostly, there was memory making this November weekend in New York.

Promises (I've Broken)

Parenting a preschooler is all about compromise, finding middle ground, and even doing things I swore I’d never do.

Here are a few promises I’ve broken the last couple of months:

My child will eat food that is nutritious. He will not walk around eating candy and such.

My child will be potty trained at an early age. He will not be an over-grown, diaper-wearing kid.



My child will be clean and neat. He will picture perfect – clean clothes, clean body.


My child will not spend time in front of television and computer screens. He will show little interest in such things.

My child will absolutely not wear strange clothes – no ridiculous, puffy costumes and no inappropriate get-ups. I will choose to fight this battle every time.

Unfortunately, these are just a few of the promises I’ve broken recently. I can look back over Benjamin’s almost three and a half years of life and find so many more. I suspect the “compromises” are only beginning as the wild ride of parenthood continues.

Fortunately, one promise I have managed to keep is to love him, love him, and love him some more. This is a pretty easy one.