Daughter with favorite character (well she likes Matt Smith better)
Lately I have been feeling pretty decent. Don’t know why, I’ve been trying everything, but I have. Along with changes in attitude and priorities I decided to have a father/daughter day and take her to the Aerospace museum. Now in the past if I agreed to go do something like that I would typically rush through it, afraid of an upcoming episode of pain and or nausea, or just plain wearing out to quickly. When done I would say that we needed to get home cause I didn’t feel well and/or needed to get work done. Yesterday was quite different…
We started at the Aerospace museum, it was free Tuesday, and we took our time. I explained a lot of the items there and she was actually interested (I think). Afterwards we went next door to the Automotive Museum, again free Tuesday, and she really liked the old cars there. From there we actually walked around the whole park just chatting about stuff. It was great, most we have chatted in ages. As I noticed some soreness returning in the shoulders I would pause, mentally, breath, acknowledge it and it would become less noticeable.
Next we headed down to University Heights and stopped in a little coffee shop I had found last week and got some ice tea. Then headed to a couple Buddhist shops to look around. Again I was surprised to see her interest in some of the stuff, especially the rocks and crystals which she seems to have a thing for (just look at the rock collections outside the house). She asked a lot of questions about who Buddha was and what its about and listened well.
Not wanting to stop there on the way home we detoured and went to the top of mount Helix, since she has never been, to take in the sites there. Finally we stopped by the library to get some books and the Cupcake Store next to it for some treats. It was a hot and muggy day but when of the best days I have had in ages. I really put the mindfulness to work by focusing on the moment the whole time, enjoying time with my daughter and not worrying about upcoming things or work that needed to be done. I didn’t even think about how I hurt or being tired and the heat didn’t bother me either.
Today we are headed to the YMCA for a swim and yes Ill be getting in the water too 🙂 something I hadn’t done in the past times I have actually taken here to the pool. Then topping it off with pedicures and Starbucks (tea for me).
In the past 8 years this all would have been unheard of from me, but as I work on healing and finding myself through mindfulness I have found that family time can be just as healing and needs to be a priority. I’m not perfect and still have much more to go, but I am putting things into to practice more. Its exactly that, practice. By definition something that we continue to work at to get better. Family needs to be a priority just as much as exercise, work and nutrition.
In fact it should be up at the top
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