One day a couple weeks ago I ran to the store and the first thing I was hit with were isles and isles of back to school stuff. It was July 5th and although I'm sure it’s been like this every year, this year it hit me harder than ever. This year I think I've paid more attention than ever. Really, I feel kids just got out of school. It's sad to me they are already faced with everything they 'have to buy' to go back. To me, it's not something I feel a child should have to face in the heart of summer… right in the begging of July.
This brings me to say, there are millions of blogs (mine included), books, programs, and internet sites that talk about mindfulness and the art of being able to live in the moment. Yet how is it we can be reading about one thing yet constantly be surrounded by the exact opposite? In this world, this day in age, it seems we are faced with anything but opportunities to live in the moment. I don't care where you go but every place is always a month or two ahead...or more. There is an arts and crafts store I know of that sets their Christmas stuff out in July! It's not even artsy crafty stuff that needs to be made months in advance. It's ordinary Christmas trees and decorations that, in my opinion, shouldn't even be seen until late November.
Even staying out of the stores you can't escape the rush for 'what's next'. Ads are delivered right to your own mail box…the clearance of 'end of summer sales' flooding the front page already. It is summer, we're in the heart of it now. Yet back to school ads and 'get ready for fall' supplies are begging for eager shoppers. The radio is definitely no escape either.
Places I go where there are a lot of moms around, I hear them speaking with each other about their children and how fast summer went and their back to school plans. Summer didn't go anywhere yet. Sadly its seems many parents are ready for their kids to go back to school. I guess if they are working full time I can't blame them if they are suffering with summer child care. It can't be easy. Yet I hear many non-working mom's speaking how they are ready for the school year to start. I can't speak for anyone but myself but I feel blessed that I do not have to send my little guy away for 8 hours a day. It just amazes me with all the excitement and talk of summer, I'm surprised over hearing the conversations of so many ready for it to end.
Yet there are many of us who are not ready for these beautiful, long warm days to end. Many people who have children are not ready to send them back to school. Many kids themselves are not ready to go back. If you have children going back to school or if you're homeschooling, or don't even have children at all, I encourage everyone to do the same…Step outside.
Aside from all the mad rush and the constant thought of what's next, there is a perfect place you can escape to. There is one place you can go where you will be forced to do nothing but live in the moment and that is in the beauty of your own backyard, or in the middle of a park, or deep in a forest preserve. Pack up your car and take a long drive out to the country, away from the line-up of traffic on the main roads. If possible take a trip somewhere far, that you've never been to. That will stop time and create some amazing memories along the way.
Setting yourself out in nature, away from the day to day mad rush of life will create space around you. Space…something so important for your peace of mind. Nature will teach you (she is Our Greatest Teacher) that slowing down and having patience is key to almost anything in life. Nature will help reveal the truth to your life, taking away all the superficial aspects that tend to creep in. There are no advertisements, companies, and stores attempting to direct your mind to rush ahead and rob you of your time and hard earned money out in nature. There, you can simply just be.
Living in the moment doesn't come naturally for many of us anymore and I firmly believe because each and every one of us gets robbed of it starting in our childhood. It starts so young at 5 years old, having to think about something that isn't even going to happen for over a month down the road. At that age a month isn't even something fully understood. 'Back to School' supplies cutting into the heart of our summer.
So for all the mindfulness, live in the moment sites you might have came across over the years, to the all books you might have read or magazine covers you might have read with mindfulness and live in the moment how to's fancily written across the front, none of it will matter if you don't remove yourself away from the daily routine and create your own slow daily rhythm. You can read your heart out, but none of that will matter if you don't actually practice it.
For the moms worried about school stuff, the school supplies will be there, waiting for your children right before school actually starts. Yes, you might spend a total of $5 or $10 dollars more because you didn't go buy everything the first week of July at peak sale, but isn’t that $5 or $10 worth spending in return for keeping your mindset in the now? It is worth it because we are in the heart of summer and letting your children feel that they too are truly immersed in the blessing of childhood and letting them actually live the long endless days they long for is what's really priceless.
