"Bee Patience": A Tiny Life Lesson from a girl who didn't know better

The playground was dry and hot.

I wondered where the grass was. Where were the flowers? 

Maybe it has been too long since I had been in elementary school. But on this, my son's first week of kindergarten, I was just getting used to him dropping off his backpack in the line by the wall, running off with a smile and a "'bye, mom!" I wanted flowers and grass. But swings, slides and four-square would have to do.

Today he stayed close. Standing by the wall, he looked down to see a honey bee, there on the barren blacktop. For a brief moment he panicked, for he and his dad had  finished their regularly-scheduled hunting date with the angry wasps in our backyard the night before ...


Perfect Moment Monday, hosted by Weebles Wobblog, is about noticing a perfect moment rather than creating one. Perfect moments can be momentous or ordinary or somewhere in between.

Once a week we engage in mindfulness about something that is right with our world. Everyone is welcome to join.

"He's just looking for a flower so he can make us some honey," I assured him.

Soon a little girl approached. "A bee!" she exclaimed as she slowly retreated.

"He's just looking for a flower so he can make us some honey," my son told her.

The girl replied, "Maybe we should find him a flower?"

Before I could convince her that there was not a flower in sight, she was off into the sea of backpacks and barrettes and brand new school clothes.

I had almost forgotten about her, as my son, my husband and I kept ourselves busy protecting the innocent bee from the investigative school children. Suddenly a bright yellow flower with a brilliant brown center was being held right up under my chin.

I turned my gaze up to reconfirm. There was no grass. There were no flowers.

"Do you think THIS flower will do?" As I looked down past her deep, round eyes, her name-tag proudly displayed her name.

"Yes, Patience. This flower is perfect."

As I slid the sunflower up under bee, it quickly crept toward the center and began to enjoy the richness of the flower. Flower and bee were still connected when we walked away.

Driving home, I was delivered the lesson: We are always provided with what we need. It just takes a little Patience."

Family Bike Ride Miracle (Perfect Moment Monday)

We went for a bike ride yesterday.

For most families that would classify as a normal event. Something "good" to do together.

For us, it was a miracle.

My husband was paralyzed from the eyeballs, down three years ago.

Then, a ventilator forced his lungs to bring air in and out of his body. He was fed through a tube. We had to hold his eyes shut so they wouldn't dry out while he slept. His only dream was to walk again.

Now, he holds a full-time job. Not only can he feed himself, he cooks for his family and prepares feasts for any friends who are around. He can hold his own eyes shut as well as he can hold his 5 year old son in the arms.

And he can ride a bike.

Watching from behind as he pedaled up the hill he never thought he'd master, it was a perfect moment.

And it was a miracle.

"Thumbs Up" -- Voluntary or Involuntary Reaction?

We tugged along the folding chairs, quartered oranges, drinks and snacks. This particular day required extra baggage as we found new places to tuck our blankets and umbrellas.

We sat in the rain on what was turning out to be a miserable morning. We were cold. We were wet. The wind was blowing. My son forgot to bring his ball. I'm not even sure I gave him anything to eat. The other team even got the advantage of playing the entire game downhill.

And the final straw, we didn't have time to stop for coffee.

Coach Randy led the kids in their "Go Tigers!" pre-game, hands-in cheer. He sent them to the field and encouraged them to have fun. We sat down and bundled up.

Somewhere near kickoff time, the wind and rain washed away our rushed, unpleasant morning.

Dominic skipped into position, as he has done at every soccer and basketball game he has played in his stellar 5 year career. He really, REALLY enjoys the game. Not the passing, or the shooting, or the running, or the cheering, or the body placement, or the throwing-in, or the scoring, or the steals and fast breaks.

Not even the oranges.

He loves the GAME.

Dominic has this smile that only appears on the court or field.

After about every sixth play he turns to his parents and gives us the "Thumbs up." And it is not connected to a goal or a great play. The "Thumbs up" is almost an involuntary reaction that occurs when my son is overwhelmed with love of the game, completely content that he is doing what he is doing.

My return "Thumbs up" was equally involuntary.
And so were the tears that began to well up in my eyes.

Or maybe it was just the rain.

But it was, without a doubt, a Perfect Moment!

What?! I'm not into FITNESS?

I used to think it was all about fitness. But I've realized that it's really about WELLNESS.

Fitness = No pain. No gain.
Wellness = If there's pain, find another way to accomplish the same goal in the same amount of time.

Fitness = Workout before anything.
Wellness = Sometimes the doing the puzzle or the book to your child comes before the workout.

Fitness = Going faster, going further, lifting more.
Wellness = Squeezing in 24 minutes of cardio before the family wakes up. Finding satisfaction in a quick but intense session of body squats, pull-ups and push-ups.

Fitness = Measuring every ounce of chicken and cooking a week's worth of meals on Sunday.
Wellness = Stashing bags of nuts, turkey jerkey and bottled water in the most amazing places so my family always has healthy snacks on hand.

It took a lot of time and experience to learn that Mommy doesn't mean fitness.

Mommy Means Well.