This past weekend my brother visited us. The week prior my mom did. It was so great to see them spend time with my spunky 14-month-old daughter.
This morning as I played with her, I imagined what it is like to play with an adorable toddler for 1 hour, as opposed to being in charge of her care 24/7. I pictured my brother, and my mother, and what I projected their experience to be like. This is particularly easy to do today since I am about to head off to a full-day conference for teachers.
It made me appreciate each moment with my child even more—I focused on her every movement, her every syllable. It was a special experience to pretend I too was someone who doesn’t regularly see her. At the same time, I am very happy that this was an exercise to help me live more in the present rather than a reality. Even though it is exhausting, I love taking care of my daughter 24/7/365 and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank G-d.
