Every day Lola makes me aware of the gift I can give her through travel.
She reminds me of something that happened on our trip, she asks when she can go on a ferry again, asks questions about why mountains are so big but most importantly she says “I love spending ALL my time with you, Mummy”. Of course that is not always possible, but it is a lovely thing to hear.
She asks how to say things in French, Spanish and Italian; not being fluent myself I sometimes need to check; she is also giving me the gift of learning with her. It’s a journey we can travel together and enjoy and I feel very privileged to be on course with her.
It’s not just about travel, it is about exploring the world every day. I am not the navigator, I follow her lead. Her instinct and desire to explore whether it be language, physics, creativity or other is her own internal compass and I am simply there to be the facilitator.
To see the look on her face when she figures something out or is doing something she loves makes my heart swell to the point I need to take a deep breath. To hear her giggle when she’s made up a funny song in another room and doesn’t think I’m listening brings a tear to my eye.
We often hear the saying “a child is a gift” but it is so much more than that. The child is just the start of the gift; the joy that comes from being present, from being aware and by sharing yourself completely is unquestionable and all consuming if you allow it to be.
Take 5 minutes today to just sit and use your senses.
Listen, watch and remind yourself of what is around you, the little things that get missed when you are rushing to your next super important task.
Appreciate the gift of being a parent because before you know it those moments will be gone.
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Clancy Goes to France, my memoir which carries this same message is available at Amazon. Click through to read reviews and for more information.
