While my niece was visiting in the spring, I captured a few pictures of her and one of our boys, TOC. Savannah was just infatuated with the cat, running up and down our stairs telling us “I want a meow” and watching our boys lay around. TOC is a weird cat – he LOVES water and insists on climbing in our bathtub and sinks which just set Savannah over the moon. I spent hours following her up and down the stairs, helping her get close to the cat (although she only wanted to see him, not touch) and talk to TOC. During all those runs up and down the stairs, I was reminded of something only a 2 year old and a cat could teach me: see the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Savannah has a dog. And a brother. A mom and dad, four grandparents and us. But she doesn’t have cats. So naturally, our two cats amazed her. She loves them! Our boys weren’t quite sure what to make of her – but that’s another story. We see our boys every day and we love on them, but the way my sweet niece looked at our cat, smiled for him and tried to turn on the water for him just made my heart swell. She looked at TOC with such wonder. She is still understanding what cats are and what they do – the sounds they make and why they sleep all day. And it was AMAZING to see her little brain process what she was seeing. She was all smiles, all laughs and loving crawling on my floor to find our other cat under the bed. She was telling me over and over about where the cat was and making sure they would be friends by standing close enough to see him but not scare him. She wanted to take care of him – finally pet him and make sure he was happy. She even brought his toy over to him in the sink! (How stinking cute, right?!).
It made me think – how many moments in our lives do we take for granted? How many times do we walk by and say “I’ve seen it a hundred times. It’s no different than yesterday.” I’m positive I do it more than I should. I mean, life doesn’t have to be all rosy and brand new every day for us to appreciate what’s around us. It just requires us to slow down and really take in what’s going on. Maybe it’s the food you’re eating – a new way to make salmon from your Hello Fresh delivery. Instead of scarfing it down in front of the TV, maybe it’s time to sit at the table, talk and really taste what you made. Maybe it’s about taking a walk around your neighborhood without your phone and just talking with your spouse or friend and seeing where you live. Maybe it’s about lighting your favorite candle and sitting close enough to really smell the darn thing. See? It’s small things.
When we’re more mindful of what we’re doing, eating, seeing, smelling and feeling, we open a whole new world for our brains and our bodies. We take the moments that would otherwise seem ordinary and dull and allow ourselves to see a different world in front of us. Savannah reminded me, standing in my new bathroom and reaching for my cat, that life is full of moments that make us stop and stare. Life is full of little moments that make us remember why we are glad to be here, breathing and enjoying the world around us. We just tend to miss those moments. I challenge you to take time today and allow yourself to see the extraordinary in the world around you. I know it’s there. I hope you find it too.
XOXO,
Kristina
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