Moments that make everyday.......

I recently read a blog (http://momastery.com/blog) post which started with.....

An older woman stops us, puts her hand over her heart and says something like, “Oh- Enjoy every moment. This time goes by so fast.”

Everywhere I go, someone is telling me to seize the moment, raise my awareness, be happy, enjoy every second, etc, etc, etc

It caught my attention because I know this feeling well - when I'm out with all my munchkins and internally I'm at my wits end wandering how this all happened and why it is that they all choose to melt down whilst stood in the most public places, feeling completely out of control and honestly thinking whilst being told to seize the moment - why can I not escape this moment! Seize it - you've got to be joking right??!

But if you read the whole blog G (the author) goes on to talk about time:

There are two different types of time. Chronos time is what we live in. It’s regular time, it’s one minute at a time, it’s staring down the clock till bedtime time, it’s ten excruciating minutes in the Target line time, it’s four screaming minutes in time out time, it’s two hours till daddy gets home time. Chronos is the hard, slow passing time we parents often live in.

Then there’s Kairos time. Kairos is God’s time. It’s time outside of time. It’s metaphysical time. Kairos is those magical moments in which time stands still. I have a few of those moments each day, and I cherish them.

And this sums it up so perfectly for me - motherhood that is. It is a rollercoaster. There is alot of Chronos time. But those kiaros moments make it all worth it......

I decided today to start to be more thankful for it all. The Chronos time builds my character, it refines me, it sharpens me. The Kiaros moments make me smile, lift my eyes up remembering the bigger picture of life and take stock that all the effort is really worth it...... its the reward for the effort. It makes me see the light in the dark moments and reminds me I don't walk this journey alone but that there is Someone ever present with me.

I had some of the kiaros moments today..... its like time stood still.....

- Neve of her own accord took her extremely unhappy baby brother (who had been distressed and cried all the way home in the car, was hungry and tired) into her arms and sang sweetly in his ear, because she 'noticed' that I had four kids to bring in, muddy scooters and boots to get sorted, and a 2 1/2 yr old who needed to be changed as he had a not so sweet aroma about him..... she sang to him till he was calm and giggling (to my shock) and then proceeded to find toys and settle him. She then found a nappy and wipes and laid them beside him ready for me when I eventually came. Simple but for me this was a Kiaros moment. She didn't have to notice.

- Cohen walked into the kitchen today with no requests, no pleads..... simple looked up and said 'mummy, my love you berry much', blew me a kiss and walked out.......


Kiaros. Chronos. I'll take both. Both make me stronger. Both make everyday worth living.

I'm not a eeky monkey....

The last few weeks Cohen has made me smile on many occasions as he has piped up with lines like 'I'm not a eeky monkey mummy, I'm Cohen'.... or 'I'm not cute mummy, I'm Cohen'. Why has this made me smile? Mosty because the look on his face is one that's so adamant that I've got it wrong when I've called him a cheeky monkey - like I've forgotten his name! Although its made me smile so many times and we've joked as a family at his insistency its made me think too - how often do we introduce ourselves with just our name? Or how often do you add something else?.... How often are we just comfortable to stand in our own shoes and say 'hi, I'm me'.....

Society has taught us its about what we can make of ourselves and in turn we've changed our thinking. We regularly introduce ourselves with labels (because if we don't we feel awkward) and so often we are guilty of requesting more than just 'me' from people we meet by also immediately asking questions about what someone does for work? what's their marital status? We're not comfortable with the person as they are..... standing in their own two shoes! I guess Cohen in his own little way has made me take a double think about being comfortable with who I am - who I am to be - not always what I am doing or what others say I am or am not..... Refusing to believe little lies about myself that are so easy to take on board, taking on stuff that I don't need to because its not helpful - but standing in the truth of who I am and being who I'm suppose to be.... I guess I just hope some of my little boys adamancy rubs off (;