January 1 2012, a great time to start anew… a new day, a new year, a new blog! I will share my observations and contemplations and invite you to share yours.
This morning my attention gravitated toward a young family playing at the beach. The mother and father were watching over their two young children who were splashing around at the waters edge. The little boy was about 3 years and appeared confident and competent in the knee-deep water, while his younger sister, just over a year old was wobbly in comparison. She was jumping up and down as the gentle waves lapped in with her Mum propelling her over each tiny current. After a while Mum let go and the little girl stood for a moment without support and as the wave came in and was pulled back by gravity the little girl lost her balance and fell backwards. Mum and Dad were right there to ensure her swift return to an upright position. I watched this take place, as if in slow motion, the process experienced by the little girl. She went from jumping up and down to finding her feet, to being knocked off balance and tumbling backwards into the water in a milli-second. Her attention was first and foremost on her PHYSICAL safety. Once her physical safety was confirmed, then and only then did the emotional response kicked in, at which point she cried. Once again, Mum and Dad were there to comfort and assure her that she was alright and I wandered along the beach, fascinated about the order of things, the nature of being human, the innate capacity to attend to our physical needs AND THEN to our emotions and how wonderful that was to observe.
© Patricia Herreen 2012