Leave room for surprises

We’re half way into the summer holidays and I’m so glad I took my daughter Ella’s advice to not pack their vacation with lots of courses and agendas. She asked if she could focus on just a few things, namely sewing, drawing, and French. She particularly wanted to have more sleep, time for sports, a lot of doing nothing days, and more chances of hanging out with her friends. I have made that my basis for the rest of her siblings so that hopefully, all of us will remember this as a memorable and enriching summer.

I love blocking off dates in my calendar so that things are set and I have a clearer picture of how my week or month is like.  I thrive on order and structure so that when schedules are changed and mixed up, I get disoriented with my day and life. Because my children signed up for a few things this summer —just those that they truly are passionate about — I have actually less things blocked off in my calendar and I get to spend more time with each one of them as they attend to their chosen endeavors. Though I still have a hectic life shuttling from one place to another to bring my kids, I have found many times of recreation, rest, and reflection while waiting for them.

I am allowing myself to be surprised more and more this summer. I have decided that I am not going to be bound by my schedules alone but by the beauty the moment can offer if I let the magic happen with each circumstance.

Once, my kids and I attended a children’s party in our neighborhood, where they had a contest for the one who could do the hula hoop the longest. I found it so amazing that they could actually keep that hula hoop spinning for so long that I ended up learning to spin it myself! I was so awed by the fact that I had actually learned a new skill at this age (haha!), which I could benefit from health-wise.  I have since made it a point to do the hula hoop at least 10 to 15 minutes a day. What a great workout!

Every time I bring my son Benjamin for his soccer practice, I get geared up for running.  When practice was cancelled due to heavy rains the night before, I asked my son if he could join me to walk in the UP oval instead.  I was thrilled that he said yes and we walked while holding hands and talking about mundane but incredible stuff that was on his mind at that time. 

Just the other day, when I took out all our pillows to be washed and dried in the scorching heat of the sun, it suddenly rained. I was tempted to get upset because that meant the pillows were not going to be dry for us to use in bed.  Instead, I sighed, looked outside our window, and told my son he could take a shower in the rain. He looked at me with disbelief and when I told him I would join him, he gave me a huge grin and we both ran outside to catch the rain. It lasted for a very short while, but it was great fun.

It is my daughter Hannah who always reminds me about the secret to being happy. Her motto for every competition she joins, where she gets to perform her very best, is to have fun while doing her best, knowing God will do the rest. She is competing for gymnastics in Singapore this May and I’m sure she’ll do just fine with those things that are firmly set in her mind and heart.  And those are the things that I will also choose to be directed by this summer as I welcome each surprise that awaits me. Hope you do the same and have a great summer ahead of you!

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E-mail author at mommymaricel@gmail.com.