Did you ever hear a story that continues to stay with you?
I was listening to the radio one day years ago and heard a story that continues to have an impact on my life and helps me to remember to be present with the children in my life.
The story is about a father whose son was 4-years-old at the time and had been recently diagnosed with ADHD. The parents were advised to start him on mediation, but the father was skeptical so started looking for other solutions.
In his search, he heard about and attended a parenting conference. One of the speakers talked about our children with ADD and ADHD and how sometimes just being present with them can help.
He asked the audience to think about the last time they were 100% present for their child. That meant being totally present with their child and not thinking about the ‘to do’ list or where they needed to be next. It meant not being on the computer, cell phone, cleaning, making dinner, or doing anything else besides being totally present with the child.
As the father was listening, he realized he had never been 100% present with his son. There was always a part of him that was somewhere else. At that moment, he made the decision to go home and be with his son 100% for a portion of every day.
The first thing he did when he arrived home was to hug his son with 100% of his being and what happened during the hug surprised the father. After just a few seconds, he felt his son’s chaotic and erratic energy start to calm down and the more he held his son, the more his son relaxed into his embrace. By the time the hug ended, the father was in tears and his son was calm and relaxed.
Our children invite us to live more in the present. If you have a child or grandchild in your life, they will give you countless opportunities to practice being 100% present and you then get to witness the miracles that occur in those moments.
Enjoy reading this article? Read more from Annette Rugolo
