Have you ever been surprised by the unexpected?
This week was the school winter break for the children, and the weather was enjoyable and inviting for outdoor time. One afternoon, we decided to find a playground, and I noticed we had different expectations about it, which was reflected in our preparation. They gathered baseball ball and bat, shuttlecock, basketball, ignored the snow boots, and went straight to get sneakers. I carefully packed a book and papers to read and study, expecting a quiet time for that.
Walking to get there was already an adventure. We realized we needed snow boots or rain boots. As we got closer, the basketball court was covered in ice and snow, okay, no basketball play today. After a few minutes, they ran to the playground and realized how wet it was as the cold water hit their feet. That was just an observation. They did not want to go home, so they did not complain but kept playing. I was observing to know when would be a good time to jump into my quiet reading time, when my daughter asked me to throw balls at her. That split second, her expectation, my expectation, it all went down to surrender to the moment. We played, other daughter joined us, it was the opportunity to leave them playing. Then the wind and my papers and book on the floor, wet. Well, no more reading time.
And that was me, enjoying my time contemplating my children playing and resisting the freezing wet feet sensation to extend time outdoors as much as possible. It was perfect, exactly where we were supposed to be!
How do you prepare yourself, mind and heart, for the unexpected?
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