Lessons in Mindfulness I Was Taught From My 4yr Old Granddaughter
As I am writing this, we have a house full. All of our babies and grandbabies are home for a visit. So, in all, we have 12 people, 3 dogs, and a cat under the same roof.
Things can get a little hectic at times, but when the majority of them are hundreds of miles and several hours away, my heart is full having them all home.
One of the great concepts of both Stoic and Buddhist philosophies is to be mindful of and to live in the present moment. After all, it is the only reality we have. The past only exists as a memory and the future hasn’t happened yet, so neither is a reality.
One of my granddaughters is great at living out this concept. I have learned to watch her be present in the moment, and it has helped me, in turn, be more present as well.
We went to the park one day and a surprise rainstorm popped up. It was torrential for a few minutes and then it was gone. Like so many summer storms here in the south. While everyone else in the park made a dash to the gazebo for a quick shelter, my granddaughter and a friend she made took off to play in the rain. Rather than letting an unexpected storm discourage and disappoint her, she embraced the circumstances with a positive outlook and made the best of the situation. She ran, splashed, jumped in puddles, laughed and giggled. She and her new friend had the best time. And, I had the best time watching her enjoy life.
Her parents told me a story about the night before when they were having a meal with her other grandparents. She was really enjoying some corn. She enjoyed it so much that she expressed her enjoyment with a couple of expletives. While it isn’t our cultural norm for a 4 yr old to spout out profanities, we know they do it. What I take away from this is that, with all that was going on around her at the supper gathering, she was completely focused on the corn that she enjoyed. So focused in fact, that she forgot about the adults around her and said a couple of words that she shouldn’t have.
This reminds me of a story about two monks talking. The younger monk was going through all of the same outward appearances of the older monk with meditation and mindfulness, walking meditation, eating mindfully, etc., but was still feeling the stresses of daily life. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t seeing and feeling the benefits, so he questioned the elder monk. The wise one told him that while he was doing all the things right outwardly, that inwardly there was too much going on. He said, “When I walk, I only walk. When I eat, I only eat. And, when I meditate, I only meditate. This takes away any of the other distractions that would keep me from being mindful of the moment I am experiencing.
If you would like to explore the topic further and aren’t sure where to begin, I recommend
Practicing Mindfulness: An Introduction to Meditation by Mark W. Muesse
or,
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh
They are both great places to get started.