What a surreal time we are living through. I have been watching the neighbor’s children play in the cul-de-sac. As I sit on my front porch watching and listening to them, I see how happy they are because of their creativity. They’re creating new things with their imaginations in their smaller world. They are lost in this new world that their imaginations have created: their forts, mud puddles, chalk drawings, stuffed animals, bike riding, and their pretend restaurants and schools.
As an adult, it all feels like a lost art to me. No matter how I fill my days in the back of my mind the concerns creep in, worry about the future and the suffering and loss of life due to this pandemic. As I watch these children, I begin to think about what I really enjoy and how I can develop a habit of mindfulness. So much of mindfulness is in the little things: the colors of my flowers, tending to my garden, and keeping my home harmonious. There is also solace in reading a good book, watching a movie, the routine of a morning, taking a walk, or a hike, and music… always music. And, there is always consolation in helping others.
There is beauty in everything that we create, no matter how small. You don’t have to be good at it, you just need to enjoy it and get lost in it. That’s where the beauty is found.
Watching and listening to our children can teach us a great deal. During this time I wonder if we can learn more from them than they learn from us?
So, as I try to learn more about mindfulness and the beauty found in creativity, I will continue to watch and listen to them.