Several weeks ago, well a few weeks before we lost
Chance, I listed to a podcast by Shauna Neinquiest (which was
hosted by Kat from Inspired to Action), author of the recently
released (and popular!) book Savor. The theme of the podcast was how
to savor life in the midst of the crazy.
A big takeaway for me at the time, and now even
more impactful after losing Chance, is the question posed to Shauna and
listeners?
What prevents us from savoring our days? What
prevents us from truly savoring our time with our family and littles? Shauna gives her answer . . .
The image of what it is SUPPOSED to be.
This resonates with me on so many levels.
Quoted from the podcast:
Parenting is such an invitation to love what is,
and let go of what isn't. Parenting is so much about responding to what
IS and rolling with it, and it can be really frustrating if you're really
stuck in your concept of what it should have been. (What your kids should
have been like, what your marriage was supposed to look like, what your house
was going to be, etc). If you can invest yourself deeply in what IS, instead of
being so caught up in what you thought it should have been, that is a real
recipe for living a very rich and very present life.
So what does this look like for
me?
Loving & fully embracing my daughters special
needs, and redirecting my focus when I start to wander down the path of
comparing her and her abilities to that of a typical child. Love what is.
Invest myself deeply in what is. Let go of the "should have beens."
Loving & fully embracing our family of five,
even though our family of five looks a little different than most. Love what
is. Invest myself deeply in what is. And while I will never fully be able to
let go of Chance, I cannot remain stuck in what should have been. Remaining in
that place will only encourage a cycle of bitterness and disappointment. Forget him?
Never. Yet I can respond to my pain and sadness by embracing what IS.
. . my husband, my daughters here on earth, my family, my friends, and God's great love for me.
Embrace the journey. Savor what is. . .
I highly recommend listening to this podcast episode. Besides, podcasts makes any mundane task, such as that mound of dishes or laundry, a little more bearable. And if you're up for it and feeling a little insightful, share what this looks like for you.
