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Because There is No Place Like the Present

Posted by Jen on July 3, 2009 at 7:00 AM

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Right about now I'm way, way out in the bush of Rwanda, riding on the back of a motorcycle, wishing I had a little something for every little child I'm meeting along the way. I could be distracted from all the beauty around me by focusing on what I lack or what I failed to bring, but I know now that that would be a mistake. What these kids--and every kid, really--needs is our presence, our willingness to get down low and tend to the simple things at hand. A game, a joke, a smile, another drink please. This is incredibly hard to do, but it's not without its rewards. Kids catch our calm. They learn from us how to be still. How to just be.

I can't wait to be home with my kids in a few days after this Africa adventure. Here's my to-do "Be HERE" list. Feel free to share yours in the comments below.

1. Go bike riding.
2. Flop on the couch and read each other jokes out of Carter's joke book.
3. Let Madeleine sit real close to me (the way that sometimes makes me crazy when I'm working) and chit chat about nothing at all.
4. Make homemade popsicles or some other such project that I always say no to because it's too messy.
5. Sleep together in one of our big old beds.
6. Watch their shows with them, even if I think the plots are ridiculous.
7. Follow them around the house and kiss them all over.

How about you?