Little Miracles Bring Big Results

Days filled with uh-ohs and screaming, my now 18-month old has walked into his terrible twos and there’s no stopping him. As I try to write my next batch of articles with him by my side, so typical of the momprenuer within me, more bouts of screaming fill the air.

Did he nap? Yes. Is he hungry? No, he just had his all-organic frozen fruit bar. Is he hurt? No. Aha… he simply wants attention. Perhaps the simple gesture of him opening his arms and throwing himself onto my legs gave it away.

The meaning of attention. For a moment I am taken back to the all-famous 80s commercial: Before you dress, caress. Perhaps many of us bathe with luxury soap bars or better yet with one of Dr. Bronner’s Castile Magic Soaps; this isn’t the main idea though. How many times have you recently stopped and given yourself some attention?

Surely we’re not suggesting to be so into yourself you’re no longer other focused. Perhaps those tiny interruptions by others or unexpected situations that come our way can somehow be viewed as a pause to see the miracles in life.

I am very blessed to work from my home office where the scents of essential oils and Hanae Mori spring in the air yet I’m still able to seize a trace of hurricane Rio as he chases after rolling cans of food or unrolls toilet paper across the floor. Or best of all, I can watch him as he aims to type and play phone as he imitates his Mamma.

Please don’t get confused, at-home doesn’t necessarily mean more flexibility. It actually means being on constant multi-task mode and sacrificing hour lunches or venting sessions with the girls in the office to get your job done. It means being focused and determined at the expense of losing some sleep in order to get the best use of quiet time.

Coming back to my son’s melt-down while I was working, Virginia Satir, a respected family therapist, once said, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. We need twelve hugs a day for growth.”

Little Rio simply wanted a hug. I needed a hug. I needed to close my laptop, break the ruminating on how many emails I have yet to answer, I actually needed to stop, collaborate and listen to his needs, as well as my own. Although it seems I’m on an 80s kick today, undoubtedly Vanilla Ice had no idea someone in 2015 would borrow his line and use it toward greater good.

When someone asks the multi-million dollar question, what is the recipe for a successful work-life balance, do you want the bogus perfect schedule that works for all types of women or perhaps we need a little more authenticity? I say authenticity and surely it will differ from woman to woman. My current strategy: knowing when to stop and enjoy life. Whether it’s five minutes, 30 minutes or for the evening I am choosing to enjoy my family and place work on hold, without neglecting my work responsibilities.

Like a flower in beautiful bloom that had nowhere to grow from, little miracles still occur in our busy, demanding and inundated days. But the question remains, do you stop to look for them?

By Mavian Arocha-Rowe
Photo by AJ Montpetit