“I’m so happy I didn’t break both foots, Mommy,” Matthew told me last week (two days after he fractured his ankle in gym class).
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| All smiles with the broken ankle. Wheelchair needed - Crutches are too difficult for his coordination |
His words stopped me in my tracks. He didn’t ask, “Why me?” or say, “I’m so mad I can’t walk around”. His thoughts went straight to positivity. Directly to gratitude. Even after breaking a bone, a time when most people would feel sorry for themselves, he told me what he was happy about.
The pure joy and the unfiltered emotion that Matthew shares with me each day is a gift. "Happy December, Mommy!” he exclaimed on the first day of the month a few weeks ago. He claps his hands with delight as he reads a text from a babysitter who shared what she plans to eat for dinner. Yes, meal information is worthy of Matthew’s applause.
He knows how to live in the moment and is my greatest teacher for this challenge. I tend to get stuck on the “what ifs”.
What if he has a seizure while he is on the bus ride to school?
What if he never learns parking lot safety or how to safely cross the street?
Who will take care of him when I am no longer able to?
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| Matty and his favorite car |
The list goes on. And on.
When my mind wanders to these uncertain places, Matthew knows how to bring me back to the present moment. “Mommy, look, the gray car is back!” he exclaims as he looks out the
front window at his favorite car belonging to neighbors across the street. “Mommy, that was fun,” he tells me daily after we each say our favorite words for the days of the week (meaningful Monday, terrific Tuesday, you get the picture).
He’s teaching me to appreciate the little things. To live in the moment. I get a human daily reminder that a round of applause for Taco Tuesday is customary in his world.
“Mommy, I’m so glad I didn’t break both foots.”
Me, too, Buddy. Thank you for giving me the gift of present awareness, and helping me learn how to by-pass the what ifs so I can follow you directly to mindfulness and gratitude.
