The kitchen was loaded with dirty dishes and the dishwasher was still full of clean dishes (which can happen if you don't spend your entire day standing in the kitchen ;) ).
My son woke up, said good morning, and asked for food (as he usually does). Well, he couldn't set up to make breakfast because there was no space. So he got impatient and started to load the dirty dishes in with the clean. I asked him to stop and come with me... we turned off the light and started the morning over...eyes closed, deep breathing, then opened our eyes, looked to the bluing sky and then came back into the kitchen.
We looked around the kitchen and saw what needed to get done...the clean dishes had to get put away first, so the dirty ones could get cleaned, so that the counter get cleared and cleaned, so that we could THEN make breakfast. The whole time it was a struggle for him (as he was hungry and impatient), so I gave him a little something to eat, but he soon forgot he had eaten it...focusing on wanting breakfast instead of making it possible. So we took another moment, after most of the dishes were in their places, to discuss being in the moment, wanting, and pride. Because of his focus on the "future" food he was going to eat, he was getting frustrated in the "now" tasks he had to do in order to get breakfast made. If focusing on the future makes your present experiences frustrating, you are in the process of creating a different future. If you want the food of the future, be in the moment of preparing your meal, if you want to be at peace in the future, be peaceful now....if you want to be happy in the future, be happy, in the moment, now. Stop, look around, and see what you can enjoy...now....what you can be grateful for....now, and then do it. Being that we were already in the process of receiving the food (the food was on the stove cooking), then we just needed to be patient, now, and continue to prepare a space for enjoying the food we were about to receive. I used the analogy of a child wanting ice cream.....
ICE CREAM!! ICE CREAM!!! I WANT ice cream!!! Clearly the child is focused on "wanting" the ice cream...over-eager, and excited, as the child gets their ice cream and brings it hastefully to their mouth, the ice cream falls to the ground....SUCCESS!!! The child has succeeded in creating the "wanting" for ice cream. Now if the child had used their manners (epiphany) and asked to have some ice cream (please), they would have been patient in waiting (with watchful anticipation) and then careful in receiving and grateful for having (thank you). Not only did the child receive and EAT the ice cream, but they masterfully used the craft of artful receiving.
So we breathed deeply once again, got back into the moment and enjoyed every piece of it...from getting the plates, to setting the table...all of it was fun and then the meal, which was on its way, was received and enjoyed fully. SUCCESS!! :)
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