Time Flies, Little Butterfly

You know, life is really strange, Mom. There is never enough time to do all the things you want to do because there are so many things that you are supposed to do.

Like right now, I can either stay and watch this butterfly, but you might be mad at me.  Or, I can go inside and feel sorry that I missed seeing such a beautiful sight.  I just keep hoping the butterfly will fly off so that I don't have to make such a hard choice.

I laughed at how serious her comment was as I suspected she was merely attempting to avoid her homework.  I told her that the good thing is that she is only seven years old.  She's still young enough that she doesn't have to worry about missing out on a thing in life.  She will have plenty of time to enjoy every bit of it.  She will have lots of butterflies to watch in her future and plenty more school projects to balance them out. 

A little later I learned that a neighbor of mine who has been struggling with health issues passed away on Saturday and her funeral is being held today. It was in that moment that I realized that the words I spoke to my daughter could just as easily apply to you, me or any of us.  We all have time ahead of us to do whatever we want, even if it is just for another day.  We should remember to cherish the time we have and make the most of it. 

I wish I would have watched the butterfly a little longer yesterday before it flew away, just like I wish I had taken more time to know my neighbor better.  I know she was a wonderful person with lots of wisdom to share.  I am blessed to have another day with my family and the comfort of having good friends and neighbors in my life.  

I am, once again, astonished at the insights our children have about life when they speak the simple truths that are on their minds.  We could all learn so much if we would take more time to listen to the wisdom of our children. 

One thing I have noticed is that children are always looking up, literally and figuratively.  (One reason for that is because they are short and most everything is "up" for them.)  Most adults and many teen agers are usually walking around with their eyes cast down.  We look at the ground, our work, our watches, our phones.  

But our children look up and they see the sky, the birds, the clouds. They have a unique perspective that we all had at one point in our lives. It is one of optimism and discovery.  Every now and then, it is good for the soul to simply stop and take time and look up.  The ground will always be there, but the sky is always changing.


*** IN LOVING MEMORY OF JANET GILBERT ***