Monday 13 July 2009

A week of boys...

Most of my days I spend on my own. I am used to my space, the peace, the quiet, the 'no need to think about anyone but Me', the 'what shall I eat for MY tea?', the 'what shall I watch on the TV and where is MY remote? (oh, here it is, right where I put it...)'

Life gets lonely at times - nobody to bounce ideas off, no immediate support, nobody to talk to - but I take full responsibility for the situation I am in. If I were brave I would plunge myself in to the environment of a shared house. If I were clever I would find some kind of inbetween. If I were bold enough I would risk Love.

I know that I have a tendency to live inside my own head, my own little fantasy land. It's great there - I have more money than I know how to spend, my wardrobe of clothes leaves me spoiled for choice and each day is filled with love. Who would want to leave?

But I know that if my dreams are ever to become a reality I must start spending less time living in my head and more time living in the real world - in the moment, the present, the Now. Because that is where life actually happens. And this week I will be pulled in to the Now by being surrounded by boys.

One of my friends has 20-month old twin boys. Yesterday I became her unpaid helper at the Twins Club summer party (as her spouse could not resist the temptation of a Corporate treat at an Oasis concert) and there I was in the moment with a roomful of babies, toddlers and small children. Despite two babies being much harder to raise than one, none of the mothers were complaining as their children slowly demolished the room - possibly due to one of the mothers turning up with lively triplets...

Children amaze me with their ability to cover the full range of emotions several times in the space of a few minutes - masters of the art of living in the Now - and my friend's boys were no exception. Thankfully they were distracted enough by the other children not to revert to their somewhat bemusing behaviour of biting each other hard enough to draw blood - again and again and again. It's a wonder my friend has not been reported to social services - luckily (?!) the bite marks are clearly child-sized!

After 3 hours I walked home feeling slightly exhausted from the whole experience. And this is only a warm up. Today I am heading off to spend 5 days with my nephews. Five days with two lively, boisterous, loud, argumentative, sensitive, clever, loving little people. Five days of being kept on my toes. Five days of education on how to live in the Now.

I think I feel ready. In any event my sister has asked that I pack the vodka. The only question is, one bottle or two?

1 comment:

  1. Fantastic.
    You'll enjoy every moment of it.
    And you'll especially enjoy the quiet as soon as you get home after 5 days of noise.
    xxx

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