As my mom walked slowly behind me, I said, “Fine. Go by yourself.” Immediately, my six-year old niece, Michaela, piped up and said, “NO! DON’T LEAVE NANA!” She grabbed my mom’s hand and began to walk with her. While, my mom was only two feet behind me, and I had no intention of leaving her, Michaela taught me two valuable lessons:

  1. Slow down
  2. I don’t have to do this by myself.

Who is this six year heart filled with love and compassion?!! She was not going to let me leave her grandma. And when she made the statement, my heart broke open, and I was reminded to be present. In a flash, I thought, if I had been present all day, things would have been so much smoother. All day, I was agitated and irritated because my mom wasn’t moving or acting the way I wanted, or she was in the way, doing too much, and not enough. I was over dementia that day, and I wrote off her behavior as a bad day.

The reality was that I was having a bad day. If I could have just been present, and took her on a 20-minute walk, things would have been different. Instead, I just kept blowing her off, which only prompted her to ask me about the walk every 10 minutes. Unfortunately, I was trying to do loving acts, and not very well might I add, instead of being loving.

When I told my life coach and big sister Rebecah the story, she also reminded me that Michaela was also showing me that I don’t have to do things alone and that helps abounds, coming in big and small packages. Perhaps, the lesson is: being present allows me to see and receive the help that is always right here.

Are you present to receive the help that is readily available?

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