Ben and I spent our last morning in Vancouver playing at the beach in Kitsilano. It was cool and rainy outside but I decided we were going to venture out anyway. Other than a few runners, the beach was deserted. It was just Ben, the ocean and I. As he walked around exploring, I wondered to myself, if I lived near the ocean would I bring Ben down on a rainy day? Chances are, we would stay inside and play all day as we do at home when it’s cold and snowy. Ben did not care that the sky was grey, that the air was cool or that it was raining. He focused on what was important to him; picking up rocks, chasing birds, splashing in his first mud puddle. Children are like that. They live in the here and now. Whether they are throwing themselves on the floor in frustration or splashing in a puddle, they are present and living in the moment. They aren’t dwelling on the past or thinking ahead to the future. How often, as adults, do we live that fully, completely absorbed, simply enjoying what’s around us?
