Practicing patience…

I’ve been practicing patience the last few weeks looking forward to what is to come. I was surprised to find a nest with 15 eggs in a planter box in my backyard a few weeks ago.

Seeing a mother sit patiently waiting for 28 days for her ducklings to arrive is truly inspiring.  Can you imagine mostly sitting still doing nothing for 28 days?

And, it has been a miracle to witness the father flying in for occasional visits and watching the two of them interact with one another.  It’s incredible to see how the mother safely covers the eggs with feathers for protection when she leaves.

In such a fast moving world, it’s nice to slow down and watch tiny miracles unfold.  It seems in a society where we can get distracted in as little as 3 minutes and it can take up to 23 minutes to get back on task, we are sometimes missing the miracles all around us and they almost have to be right in front of our face in order for us to see them.

Every time I make it a point to search out and be present to the things around me, I am presently surprised that there are miracles to witness when I make it a point to notice.  I’m amazed when I get to speak to groups on mindfulness at how much this is needed for all of us these days.  Not to mention how great it is for stress relief when we are actually present.  When we are living in the moment we can’t be living from a place of regret or shame of the past or worry and anxiousness of the future.  What an added bonus!

What miracles have you been present to lately?

Duckling video and photo sharing to come…if you want to see more follow @tessatoddmorgan on Instagram or Facebook.

I Would Have To Say The Actual Event Is Better Than The Anticipation!

angelbraceletI would have to say the actual event is better than the anticipation.  That is, if you can be present at the event.  Here’s a photo from one of my favorite moments from the day that I talked about on my last blog.

My dream came true of getting to dance with my dad and finally celebrate my marriage.  Even though it was just a family dinner and nothing super fancy, we still had my dad walk me outside following my sweet niece pictured above dropping rose petals where they led me to my wonderful husband where my dad said a prayer for us to bless our marriage.

Planning a family dinner was like planning a mini wedding, but it turned out to be absolutely perfect!  And, the event WAS way better than the anticipation of it!  I got to be very blessed by some beautiful ladies earlier that afternoon that threw me a shower and celebrate with some amazing women and I was very honored.

It’s a bit overwhelming when the party is over and you are sitting in a room full of gifts feeling so loved by so many.  I was amazed at what people did for us and am so grateful.  I made it a point to be as present as I could be in every moment.

Back to the picture…I had given my niece a couple of gifts as awards for being the best “flower girl” and about 10 minutes later, while I was dancing with my dad, she came up and gave me the bracelet she was wearing.  It was the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.  How does a tiny little 3 year old brain think to do something like that?  Almost like in a funny peace offering sort of way or just “hey, you gave me something, now I want to give you this” and I found out later it was her favorite one.

I still have that bracelet sitting out where I can see it every day and remember such a sweet memory.  To see that beautiful face look up at me with the sweetest angelic little face is a memory I will remember for the rest of my life.

Next time you are anticipating an event, I encourage you to try and be present in all of the moments.  The planning – breathe through the stress and enjoy it because it should be fun too…the actual event – plan ahead and have someone with you to help take care of things so you can enjoy every moment happening around you.

I will also never forget the anticipation of our pool getting ready before the party.  We’ve been remodeling our new home for months and up until a few days prior it was an ugly  hole full of rust.  I just kept telling myself not to worry and that it would all be done in time.  It became swimmable at 4pm the day of the party and our family started arriving at 5pm.  So, my husband and I christened the pool by jumping in fully clothed.  Dress, dress shirt and all.  It was a blast!

Amazing things happen to us all the time and can happen in a flash and be gone in an instant.  If you are present and soaking it all in, the memories can last a lifetime.

Here’s to you having many loving and happy memories to last you a lifetime.

Hope you have a safe and happy weekend!