Mindful Parenting Moments are Revitalizing!

This morning started off as a typical Tuesday morning, following our usual routine for the most part. But then a mindful moment turned my morning mood state from relatively neutral mood to a joyful mood.  

I had just dropped my daughter off at school and just as I was pulling into the driveway, my phone rang with the school's number on display. I knew it was probably my daughter saying that she had forgotten something and sure enough, she explained that she needed some money because today was the day that her friends were going to go out to lunch to celebrate her upcoming 12th birthday tomorrow.

I happily turned the car around, grateful that I didn't have to rush off to a meeting and glad to be able to help her out. When I dropped the money off in her hand, she looked at me with such appreciation and expressed that "Thank you SOOO much Mum. I love you". I beamed back at her and wished her a good day.

While I had the urge to then turn the radio back on and drive away, I intentionally choose to stay and pay mindful attention to these very pleasant emotions, exploring them and 'letting them land' as brain scientist Rick Hanson (author of Hardwiring Happiness and Buddha's Brain) always advises. I watched her run back towards the school, taking in every detail, knowing that she was feeling excited for her day and my heart began bursting with gratitude for this simple, yet viable mindful moment. I noticed her stylish clothes as she ran back to class, signaling her maturing tastes, her long blond hair flowing behind her, the side tucked back with a bobby pin; on the cusp between the ages of 11 and 12.

'What an amazing privilege to be her parent' I reflected, as I basked in the emotions of pride, joy, bliss and gratitude which brought a whole host of pleasant physical sensations in the body of warmth, tingling, vibration, uplift, tears and energy.  Yet another mindful moment etched in my memory now, which I sense will be stored there for a very long time. Mindful parenting sure makes the pleasant moments much more pleasant, memorable, enriching and revitalizing!