The things we miss....

Mama and I have so far been one of these mother-daughter teams who rush from one place to the next trying to get things done. Hurry to the playdate, hurry back from the playdate. Eat, eat, eat. Nap time. Oh no! We are going to be late. Come on JR. Run!

While I know mama loves a well-laid plan and stresses over the smallest details, lately she has been trying to do things by "the seat of her pants, and letting them go." Change has always been her worst nightmare and biggest fear. But then I grew up and became a toddler. Suddenly, she woke up one day and realised that the key to happiness did not lie much beyond her and me. She started simplifying our dinners, and leaving mail unattended. Laundry and dishes took a backseat, and cleaning the apartment became least of her concern. She started seeing the world through my eyes. Since then, she and I have been bending the rules, stretching the limits and going through our days with open hearts and eyes.

Her new approach went on a test-drive when one day she and I set out for a walk. We took the usual road, the one we have been taking for the last two and a half years, the one that only led in one direction; the direction of the familiar.  Then, we saw a bus stop. "Mama, can I ride the bus?" It was an innocent question, and, when met with her approval it, meant a new door to the yet undiscovered. That day I taught Mama a few things;

I  taught her that I had enough patience to wait for the bus, that I really like to pay the driver, and that I could sing anywhere, anytime. The bus ride was the highlight of our day, so far, and when it was time to get off, I was a little sad. Sad, until I saw the next best thing; a fountain!

"Mama, can I?" I asked again with eyes full of plea. How far can I stretch my luck, I wondered?! We did not have a towel, a swimming suit or a change of clothes; I knew that, but I asked anyway. "Of course you can," mama surprised me with her answer. I bet she was thinking, "what did I have to lose by letting JR strip down to her undies and run naked through the water? Nothing. Nothing to lose and a lot to gain; the happiness of my child." And, I was a happy child!

Once the joy of splashing in water started wearing out, we went for a walk. We walked in a neighborhood we had only driven through. And, what difference it makes to be able to walk the streets and notice the surroundings. All this time we had been missing simple things that could have added value to our journey.

The stairs that are wide enough for me to hop down;

the neighborhood pharmacy that has a train table in the waiting area; 

another waterfall fountain that I could walk around and dip my feet into; 

and the squirrel who found a nut and was rushing to hide it.

We saw more new things in that morning alone that we had seen all week. Not only because we took a walk, but because we let ourselves be directed by our walk and not the other way around.

I have always loved my Mama, but now I love her even more for allowing me more opportunities to open my eyes and see the world around me.