Jennifer Blacklock

I’ve been pretty intentional about saying yes and being present over the years but still find myself often making lame excuses when I just “don’t feel like it”. Here’s a practical way to be present and make memories that will allow me to say “the days passed quickly, but we soaked up every one!”

Instead of saying “not right now” or “maybe later”, try saying “I’d love to!” and just doing it- playing hide and seek, reading the book, building a lego ship, jumping on the trampoline. Try it for a week or a month or a year and see how it changes things. Even if its just for literally two minutes, we can connect, we can take those minutes to say (with our actions that speak far louder than words), “you are more important than my phone, than my work, than my hobby.” If we actually can’t in that moment (not that we just prefer not to), we can still say “I’d love to” and just follow it with “I just need to finish this first then I will!”

If we say yes to the invitation into their world now, odds are we’ll keep being invited in when they’re teenagers and young adults; but if we’re “too busy” or just not interested/willing enough to accept invitations now, who’s to say we’ll be welcome when they’re older, when we really want to have a say and an influence and a voice in their lives? Let’s accept those precious invitations with an eager “I would love to…!”

I’ve been doing this for a week or so now and can guarantee a couple things:

First: there’s been no regret ever for saying yes to a bike ride or sitting down to color for a few minutes or even helping build a fort. 

Second: it doesn’t take away as much as I thought it would. Operating on a scarcity mindset (not enough time, not enough energy, etc.) isn’t just unhelpful- it’s also not true. 

I hope this inspires you to be more present!The moments and days and years are passing by, let’s redeem the time and make the most of each day!