Student Becomes the Teacher

Last week Myles saw fireflies light up for the first time ever. To put this into context, this insect-obsessed kid would constantly find fireflies during the daytime, but never at night. We even tried catching a few and watching them in a jar at night to see them light up but to no avail, so this was a big deal! 

His excitement was matched by my delight to be able to share another 'first' with him and bear witness to his ethereal wonderment. There the two of us sat in the simplest of joys when he turned to me and said: "I love this moment." 

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I would have expected him to say something like "This is the best night ever!" (which he also did say) or "I love this" But instead, he chose to say "I love this moment." 

Without even trying, he is so present and experiences life one moment at a time--something I've let slip through my fingers as of late. He wasn't just observing that moment, he was basking in it. And it wasn't just that one incident either. It's commonplace for him to loft these one-liners that make it seem like he's eight going on eighty. 

Even before the firefly magic, I'd regrettably noticed how much I'd fallen into the "busy trap;" always moving from one task to another, constantly chasing my tail in a state of hurry. Never enough hours in the day, right? Luckily, despite my hurry-along diversions, Myles continued to move at a slower pace, always stopping to "smell the roses." In just 15 feet from the house to the car, he will find 3 interesting or beautiful things to admire. I love that about him and make sure he knows such when he apologizes for taking too long. I humbly confess how I want to be more like him in that way and that taking the time to appreciate the world around us is far better than blindly hurrying through it. 

The other day he and I were playing in the yard when I ran in the house to grab something. I was only in the house for 2 minutes (or less) and in those two minutes, Myles managed to find a chrysalis-looking thing on a blade of grass. A BLADE OF GRASS PEOPLE!

That's how he experiences the world. He is constantly in a state of awe, awareness, and appreciation without even working at it or reading self-help books to get there. He is mindful of how special ordinary moments are and rejoices in them. 

He is the reminder I very much need to slow things back down and take life in... moment by moment. He truly is the gift that keeps on giving. <3