Much to the initial dismay of my kids, I will occasionally
declare that it is time for some Quiet Time in the house. Not as a punishment,
not as a consequence. Simply because there is a vibe around that we’re over
scheduled. Over revved. Over stimulated. And we all, as a family, need to stop.
Simplify. Reconnect with ourselves.
Peacefully. Without siblings. Without words. Without
You-Tube, Googles, Macs, Wiis or iAddict-o-products. A one on one with our own
being.
This, of course, is about as popular as a flu shot in
September. And as the kids stomp stomp stomp to their own rooms to begin their
60 minutes of self-declared “torture”, I hear their noises of grief and
grumbling. But then, five minutes later, I hear the quiet. Maybe a little
twinkle of singing from one of the rooms. And when I peek in to check on them, there
is a soft glow of peace around each of them. My son reading a book, sprawled on
his bed. One daughter creating a little home out of a shoebox for her teeny
tiny, big eyed animals. The other pulling out her art box and smearing pastels
with her fingers in swirly colors, around and around.
What an important lesson for these kiddos, and for me. This
ADD way of life these days of constant stimulation and information load load
load and overload, has our heads a-whirling. If I can teach my kids and encourage
them to find the joy in Quiet Time, they will learn the skills of centering and
grounding without them even knowing it’s a lesson.
Such essential bits to a
healthy life.
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by Kathy Klein |
Thanks to K in Boulder for inspiring this blog today by sharing
the work of artist Kathy Klein, who creates flower circles out of natural
objects inspired by the “golden sound residing within perfect silence.”
Within silence there is creativity, inspiration. I find my
Quiet Time on a hike. Just me, the mountains, and the sky. Where do you find yours? Take five minutes, find it. And then torture your kids with the info. Someday, they'll thank us.
Namaste & Three Cheers -OM