paying attention

I recently heard a Buddhist say these words:

Paying attention is the purest expression of love.

Which means, being fully aware. Seeing the other person with open eyes

and with a sense of astonishment and newness.

Lingering over the small moments that are easy to miss in our hurried lives.

Because when we practice this kind of seeing, the people in our lives feel valued and heard and suddenly we discover so many reasons to feel grateful.

via LargeBlimpCatStudio

Like this one.

Yesterday while I was leaving the grocery store parking lot, my cell phone rang and I saw Patrick’s name flash on the tiny screen. We only spoke for a few minutes but during our brief conversation his exuberance filled the quietness of my car.

He was telling me about the latest happenings in his world and at one point he actually said, “This (college) year is at least seven times more fun than last year, Mom.”

Seven times? Who quantifies their happiness like that? I shook my head and remembered how excited he’d been with his previous year and I wondered, “How does he do that, how does my kid go through life with so much blustering enthusiasm?”  I smiled and asked a few curious questions.

And afterwards I basked in the glow of his words.

But there was more.

Mr. Moss announced it to me while I was fixing dinner. I forgot to tell you, he said, Michael finds out today. About whether he qualifies for the faster boat.

Right now Michael’s Crew team dominates his life in the same way that your passion fills up your thoughts. Evidently, Michael had purposely kept it quiet but we both knew how hard he’d been working to qualify for the “A” boat that would be traveling to Newport Beach in a few weeks. The escalating work-outs, the tweaks in his diet. And most recently, his change in rowing positions from port to starboard in a final push to qualify.

His coach would be making the decision today.

 

Minutes later when the front door opened, I heard a loud shout.

Stella was wagging her tail and jumping up and down and Michael came into the kitchen dressed in his rowing gear and wearing a sheepish grin that said it all. He’d done it. And at least on this day it had all worked out.

He was beaming.

And so was I.

 

On an ordinary day I had stopped and noticed that both of my kids were overflowing with good feelings…

and I was unbelievably thankful.

I hope you slow down and notice some of your little things today. Because you deserve to.

Blessings,

xoxo

Leslie

I’m linking up here:

• http://www.atthepicketfence.com/2012/10/welcome-to-inspiration-friday-no-87.html
• http://www.localsugarhawaii.com/2012/10/aloha-friday-hop_25.html?
• http://www.onemoretimeevents.com/2012/10/share-it-one-more-time.html?
• http://www.domesticfashionista.com/2012/10/thankfulness-thursdays-week-13-risks-in.html
• http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/2012/10/welcome-to-fridays-unfolded_25.html

 

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