The four-year-old has been in swimming lessons the last two weeks. He loves the water. He loves being in the water. He loves being under the water.
As I've watched him in lessons each evening, I've been impressed with the way he pays attention to his teacher. I've been impressed with the way he sits - quite still - and watches as she gives instruction and even as she helps other children try what she's teaching. It's been fun to watch as his mind grasps all the concepts and sometimes it's been funny to watch as his body tries to put them into practice.
I can say that he has made great progress. He is now actually able to swim across the pool. Last night he figured out how - without the help of his teacher - to remain afloat on his back. He's doing really well.
As I've watched him what I've noticed is that his biggest challenge is remembering to take a breath. He will swim for great distances on whatever air he started with and come up gasping for air. The instruction his teacher has had to give most often to him is, "Lift up your head...take a breath."
Watching this gave me pause to think how often we forget to "take a breath." We go here and run there, we accomplish this and mark that off our lists, we are busy with family, with jobs, with volunteer work, with friends, with our homes, with our churches, with so many things and yet sometimes we forget to refuel, to rest, to allow ourselves to get the energy we really need to do these things.
So, today, I'm going to practice finding my breath...slowing down...making sure that I get filled back up after giving so much away. Thanks to my four-year-old for this important lesson.
For more Bigger Picture Moments visit Sarah.
10 comments:
my son does the same thing.
and, sadly so do I.
thanks for this reminder.
love your post. a great reminder to us all. B-R-E-A-T-H-E.
So very true. It seems that much of the advice I give my kids, I should take for myself!
sometimes our little ones teach us the biggest lessons.
We live in a frenetic culture that's always going-going-going! Thanks for the reminder to hit the brakes sometimes :)
Very true. I can dismiss my need for air all to easily, and then I expect my hubby to be able to do CPR when he gets home!
Yes! We all need to stop and breathe once in awhile! There is a lot to learn from our children, funny how that works, we set out to teach them and they teach us a whole lot more!
Those breaths are the hardest... What a good, and tough, lesson.
He'll learn, and I hope YOU do too :) Hope today was restful for you!
As for me? I think for the past week or so, I've been taking TOO many breaths and forgetting that there's actual work to be done! The hot summer days are making me lazy!
Yes, I have become aware of that this summer too. Then when I realize how fast time is flying by with my children, I panic and forget to breathe again!
Post a Comment