While at the bookstore one day, I was desperately searching for a new book to read. I came upon a book titled Buddhism for Mothers of Young Children thinking this one might be the one that I actually will read from beginning to end instead of just the end. I was raised Catholic, but as I grew older I find myself following alot more of the eastern practices of meditation and yoga. I flipped through the book and the line “Children have a gift of guiding, if not forcing, our attention back to the present” made me think. It was not a guarantee that I would ever have children, but I was able to have my son. He is truly a blessing and miracle. Motherhood is life changing not just in your daily lifestyle, but also your thinking and your relationships. There are moments where every mother looks at herself in the mirror thinking about her body and wonders if she’ll ever get her figure back (don’t worry, you will) or the moments she realizes her complete life now belongs to a little person. And there are also moments that every mother will experience where you are trying to accomplish something whether it be doing the dishes or trying to get out the door and you find yourself with a fussy crying kid wanting your full attention. And it’s not hard to become frustrated at the situation. I find myself (before reading this book) in this situation one probably too many times. In the moment, I find myself forgetting the journey I’ve been on to becoming a mother. Then I get frustrated and he becomes more upset. We are not getting anywhere. Some time after all this dies down, I feel bad. I should be more in control of my emotion or the situation. I should not have raised my voice or even become upset. All the things us mothers feel we should do and didn’t. Yes, we find ourselves in these kind of situations, but the good news is we can change it. We can be in control by becoming more aware and being in the moment. The book goes through explaining the basic principles of Buddhism. Basically to live mindfully and to become deattach from our emotions (whether we are angry or happy we must remain balance). Reading the book along with my daily meditation practice has taught me it is okay to let go of that dirty dish or the spot on the floor. What is really important is the little person who needs my attention. He won’t need me all his life, but I’m going to take what I can. I often work from home and while I was working one night, Hassan kept bumping into me. He never really does that and so I decided to bend down and asked him what he wanted. He took his two arms and wrapped them around me. He just wanted to give me a hug. And that is truly what I live for. These special moments and affections where he tells me he loves me. If I would have gotten frustrated because I need to get work done, I would have missed the moment he wanted to tell me he appreciates and loves me.
I think all of us do a wonderful job as a mother. Whether we think it or not, we do a great job. But we must also remember we can not do everything. I definitely recommend this book to all mothers whether new or old. We can all learn a thing or two about mindful living.
