Reaping Pleasure from the Days

Some days ago I decided to sign up for a mailing list where one of my favorite authors would send me a daily note on parenting.

I have loved the anticipation of finding the name of this author in my mailbox each day. I check for the email in the midst of the morning hustle and bustle and just seeing the email gives me a little jolt of excitement.

A little later in the day, I sit down to really take in the beautifully crafted note. They are short. And idyllic.

And so far, I have been rather challenged by them to tell you the truth. For example, the other day it asked me to set up a week of "extreme nice" where you don't tell your children anything resembling the words NO, Don't, Hurry Up, Now, WHY DID YOU... you get the drift. I tried it for a day and my tongue has permanent tooth marks etched on it from the number of times I bit it. I figure, a week of "extreme nice" needs to be planned for a perfect week. One with tons of eager adult helpers at hand, preplanned fun activities abound, a weeks worth of favorite foods stocked up in the fridge, and the right weather to let your children loose outside for hours on end. Oh, and perhaps the week should be timed for some time when you don't have a 2 year old. Better yet, when all your children have their prefrontol coretex developed which allows them the benefit of impulse control and control over their emotional reactions... Which I just learned that neurologists belive that to be the magic age of 25!

Another day, my beloved email asked me to come up with a list of things that I can enjoy doing for just a few minutes and get a boost of energy and sanity. Again. Stumped. Perhaps it doesn't take me a few minutes to do anything that I enjoy. I love to read slowly and devour each word in a book (some times even out loud, whispering to myself the beautiful words on the page). Cooking, writing a blog, organizing, planning, all favorites of mine, also take longer than a few minutes. But I was determined to find one thing the other day I could do for a quiet few minutes that would give me a rejuvenating boost.

And so it was that the universe (or Mr. Urban), sent me the Spring catalog for SCHOOLHOUSE Electric & Supply Co. (even the title page had the words SLOWING DOWN center stage).

"ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS, FOR ONE DAY YOU MAY LOOK BACK AND REALIZE THAT THEY WERE THE BIG THINGS...."

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