The other day, as we played in her water table, I decided I really wanted a picture of my daughter's footprints. I wanted her to walk across the boards so I could have a photo measurement of this blink in time when her feet are so small.
As I dipped her feet and showed her how it left prints on the deck her own opinion of how her prints should look sparked up. In her beautiful mind dancing prints were the way to go. I thought about trying again to capture what I had wanted but decided ultimately her way was more perfect. It captures more than her foot size; it captures her personality too.
So many times I find myself caught in the belief that there are one of two "right" ways to do something. I find a routine or an activity that I like or am comfortable with and stick to it. I understand that part of this is to combat any anxiety that new situations often bring but in reality it only takes once or twice to acclimate to something new.
I grew up hearing the phrase "when one door closes, another opens." Several years ago I discovered that often times when a "door" in my life closed it wasn't about finding another door or even a window that had opened. Instead of a door it was more like a gate and rather than being on the inside trying to get out; I found it was more like being outside trying to get in. I could climb over the gate if I wanted in that badly but if I just turned around the possibilities were endless.
Last week I was sad to hear that baby storytime at our closest local library was ending for the summer. During the summer many libraries focus on older kids who are not occupied with school and needing something safe and productive to do. I thought, "well what are we going to do on Wednesdays now?"
As a couple moms and I texted last night I realized there is a LOT to do this summer. Another nearby library is taking up baby storytime plus many of the libraries will be offering family storytime and music "concerts" throughout the summer if we don't tie ourselves down to one particular day or time. On top of that the city has several events going on and a few local businesses are offering free events as well.
After adding all the possibilities to my calendar I realized my daughter's schedule is full of fun and enriching activities and that doesn't even count swim lessons and just exploring at the nearby parks.
Storytime was not a door that closed. There are no doors! There is only infinite possibilities of where I choose to explore. It's not even a linear path to follow, but rather a dance in all directions. And even if our area didn't have all these amazing programs, our options would still only be limited by my own imagination because this world is full of things to do and explore and most of them are still new and exciting to a toddler.
I'm so grateful for the reminder to let go of the "door" frame of mind. I'm grateful for my daughter opening my mind to other possibilities. I'm grateful to step back from my own ideas so I can see the beauty in hers and others'. I'm grateful to live in a place with so many beautiful and enriching opportunities. I'm grateful so many of them are free! And I'm grateful for my group of mom friends that help me find even more opportunities as we compare calendars and notes.
What area of your life are you still seeing doors? Is there another way to view the situation or another direction to travel?
May today remind us of the infinite possibilities. May we travel our journey with our eyes wide open and no doors in our way. Have a beautiful day!
As I dipped her feet and showed her how it left prints on the deck her own opinion of how her prints should look sparked up. In her beautiful mind dancing prints were the way to go. I thought about trying again to capture what I had wanted but decided ultimately her way was more perfect. It captures more than her foot size; it captures her personality too.
So many times I find myself caught in the belief that there are one of two "right" ways to do something. I find a routine or an activity that I like or am comfortable with and stick to it. I understand that part of this is to combat any anxiety that new situations often bring but in reality it only takes once or twice to acclimate to something new.
I grew up hearing the phrase "when one door closes, another opens." Several years ago I discovered that often times when a "door" in my life closed it wasn't about finding another door or even a window that had opened. Instead of a door it was more like a gate and rather than being on the inside trying to get out; I found it was more like being outside trying to get in. I could climb over the gate if I wanted in that badly but if I just turned around the possibilities were endless.
Last week I was sad to hear that baby storytime at our closest local library was ending for the summer. During the summer many libraries focus on older kids who are not occupied with school and needing something safe and productive to do. I thought, "well what are we going to do on Wednesdays now?"
As a couple moms and I texted last night I realized there is a LOT to do this summer. Another nearby library is taking up baby storytime plus many of the libraries will be offering family storytime and music "concerts" throughout the summer if we don't tie ourselves down to one particular day or time. On top of that the city has several events going on and a few local businesses are offering free events as well.
After adding all the possibilities to my calendar I realized my daughter's schedule is full of fun and enriching activities and that doesn't even count swim lessons and just exploring at the nearby parks.
Storytime was not a door that closed. There are no doors! There is only infinite possibilities of where I choose to explore. It's not even a linear path to follow, but rather a dance in all directions. And even if our area didn't have all these amazing programs, our options would still only be limited by my own imagination because this world is full of things to do and explore and most of them are still new and exciting to a toddler.
I'm so grateful for the reminder to let go of the "door" frame of mind. I'm grateful for my daughter opening my mind to other possibilities. I'm grateful to step back from my own ideas so I can see the beauty in hers and others'. I'm grateful to live in a place with so many beautiful and enriching opportunities. I'm grateful so many of them are free! And I'm grateful for my group of mom friends that help me find even more opportunities as we compare calendars and notes.
What area of your life are you still seeing doors? Is there another way to view the situation or another direction to travel?
May today remind us of the infinite possibilities. May we travel our journey with our eyes wide open and no doors in our way. Have a beautiful day!
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