{"id":5664,"date":"2013-07-16T12:26:15","date_gmt":"2013-07-16T12:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/?p=5664"},"modified":"2020-06-11T06:45:06","modified_gmt":"2020-06-11T12:45:06","slug":"the-day-i-stopped-saying-hurry-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/2013\/07\/16\/the-day-i-stopped-saying-hurry-up\/","title":{"rendered":"The Day I Stopped Saying \u2018Hurry Up\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When you\u2019re living a distracted life, every minute must be accounted for. You feel like you must be checking something off the list, staring at a screen, or rushing off to the next destination. And no matter how many ways you divide your time and attention, no matter how many duties you try and multi-task, there\u2019s never enough time in a day to ever catch up.<\/p>\n

That was my life for several maxed out years. My thoughts and actions were controlled by electronic notifications, ring tones, and jam-packed agendas. And although every fiber of my inner drill sergeant wanted to be on time to every activity on my overcommitted schedule, I wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

You see, six years ago I was blessed with a laid-back, carefree, stop-and-smell-the roses type of child.<\/p>\n

When I needed to be out the door, she was taking her sweet time picking out a purse and a glittery crown.<\/p>\n

When I needed to be somewhere five minutes ago, she insisted on buckling her stuffed animal into a car seat.<\/p>\n

When I needed to grab a quick lunch at Subway, she\u2019d stop to speak to the elderly woman who looked like her grandma.<\/p>\n

When I had thirty minutes to get in a run, she wanted me to stop the stroller and pet every dog we passed.<\/p>\n

When I had a full agenda that started at 6 a.m., she asked to crack the eggs and stir them ever so gently.<\/p>\n

\"stopped<\/a><\/p>\n

My carefree child was a gift to my Type A, task-driven nature\u2014but I didn\u2019t see it. Oh no, when you live life distracted, you have tunnel vision\u2014only looking ahead to what\u2019s next on the agenda. And anything that cannot be checked off the list is a waste of time.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Whenever my child caused me to deviate from my master schedule, I thought to myself, \u201cWe don\u2019t have time for this.\u201d Consequently, the two words I most commonly spoke to my little lover of life were: \u201cHurry up.\u201d<\/p>\n

I started my sentences with it.
Hurry up, we\u2019re gonna be late. <\/i><\/p>\n

I ended sentences with it.
We\u2019re going to miss everything if you don\u2019t hurry up. <\/i><\/p>\n

I started my day with it.
Hurry up and eat your breakfast. <\/i>
Hurry up and get dressed. <\/i><\/p>\n

I ended my day with it.
Hurry up and brush your teeth. <\/i>
Hurry up and get in bed. <\/i><\/p>\n

And although the words \u201churry up\u201d did little if nothing to increase my child\u2019s speed, I said them anyway. Maybe even more than the words, \u201cI love you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The truth hurts, but the truth heals \u2026 and brings me closer to the parent I want to be.<\/i><\/p>\n

Then one fateful day, things changed. We\u2019d just picked my older daughter up from kindergarten and were getting out of the car. Not going fast enough for her liking, my older daughter said to her little sister, \u201cYou are so slow.\u201d And when she crossed her arms and let out an exasperated sigh, I saw myself\u2014and it was a gut-wrenching sight.<\/p>\n

I was a bully who pushed and pressured and hurried a small child who simply wanted to enjoy life.<\/p>\n

My eyes were opened; I saw with clarity the damage my hurried existence was doing to both<\/i> of my children.<\/p>\n

Although my voice trembled, I looked into my small child\u2019s eyes and said, \u201cI am so sorry I have been making you hurry. I love that you take your time, and I want to be more like you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both my daughters looked equally surprised by my painful admission, but my younger daughter\u2019s face held the unmistakable glow of validation and acceptance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise to be more patient from now on,\u201d I said as I hugged my curly-haired child who was now beaming at her mother\u2019s newfound promise.<\/p>\n

It was pretty easy to banish \u201churry up\u201d from my vocabulary. What was not so easy was acquiring the patience to wait on my leisurely child. To help us both, I began giving her a little more time to prepare if we had to go somewhere. And sometimes, even then, we were still late. Those were the times I assured myself that I will be late only for a few years, if that, while she is young.<\/p>\n

When my daughter and I took walks or went to the store, I allowed her to set the pace. And when she stopped to admire something, I would push thoughts of my agenda<\/i> out of my head and simply observe her. \u00a0I witnessed expressions on her face that I\u2019d never seen before. I studied dimples on her hands and the way her eyes crinkled up when she smiled. I saw the way other people responded to her stopping to take time to talk to them. I saw the way she spotted the interesting bugs and pretty flowers. She was a Noticer, and I quickly learned that The Noticers of the world are rare and beautiful gifts. That\u2019s when I finally realized she <\/i>was a gift to my frenzied soul.<\/p>\n

\"stopped<\/a><\/p>\n

My promise to slow down was made almost three years ago, at the same time I began my journey to let go of daily distraction<\/a> and grasp what matters in life. Living at a slower pace still takes a concerted effort. But my younger daughter is my living reminder of why I must keep trying. In fact, the other day, she reminded me once again.<\/p>\n

The two of us had taken a bike ride to a sno-cone shack while on vacation. After purchasing a cool treat for my daughter, she sat down at a picnic table delightedly admiring the icy tower she held in her hand.<\/p>\n

Suddenly a look of worry came across her face. \u201cDo I have to rush, Mama?\u201d<\/p>\n

I could have cried. Perhaps the scars of a hurried life don\u2019t ever completely disappear, I thought sadly.<\/p>\n

As my child looked up at me waiting to know if she could take her time, I knew I had a choice. I could sit there in sorrow thinking about the number of times I rushed my child through life \u2026 or I could celebrate the fact that today I\u2019m trying to do thing differently.<\/p>\n

I chose to live in today.<\/p>\n

\"stopped<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to rush, baby. Just take your time,\u201d I said gently. Her whole face instantly brightened and her shoulders relaxed.<\/p>\n

And so we sat side-by-side talking about things that ukulele-playing-6-year-olds talk about. There were even moments when we sat in silence just smiling at each other and admiring the sights and sounds around us.<\/p>\n

I thought my child was going to eat the whole darn thing\u2014but when she got to the last bite, she held out a spoonful of ice crystals and sweet juice for me.

\u201cI saved the last bite for you, Mama,\u201d my daughter said proudly.<\/p>\n

As I let the icy goodness quench my thirst, I realized I just got the deal of a lifetime.<\/p>\n

I gave my child a little time \u2026 and in return, she gave me her last bite and reminded me that things taste sweeter and love comes easier when you stop rushing through life.<\/p>\n

\"stopped<\/a><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s \u2026<\/p>\n

Sno-cone eating<\/p>\n

Flower picking<\/p>\n

Seatbelt buckling<\/p>\n

Egg cracking<\/p>\n

Seashell finding<\/p>\n

Ladybug watching<\/p>\n

Sidewalk strolling<\/p>\n

I will not say, \u201cWe don\u2019t have time for this.\u201d Because that is basically saying, \u201cWe don\u2019t have time to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pausing to delight in the simple joys of everyday life is the only way to truly live.<\/p>\n

(Trust me, I learned from the world\u2019s leading expert on joyful living.)<\/p>\n

\"stopped<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

UPDATE &<\/strong> <\/strong><\/em>RESOURCE June 2020: Through the \u201churry up\u201d epiphany and several other painful revelations that happened around the same time, I recognized that I was creating a home where my children were growing up afraid\u2014afraid to make mistakes, afraid to take risks, afraid to be themselves, afraid of me.\u00a0In a moment of clarity, I saw the damage I was inflicting and admitted to my older daughter that I was\u00a0\u201cmean to myself, and I take it out on you.\u201d When I apologized to Natalie and expressed my deepest hope and prayer to change, I saw a look of hope on her face. Discovering that I\u00a0could be truthful with my children about my missteps and struggles gave launch to a transformative journey to uncover and overcome obstacles that were sabotaging my peace, my relationships, my health, my joy, and my purpose. It\u2019s taken a lot of hard work, and I don\u2019t pretend to have it all figured out, but I am grateful for the breakthroughs I\u2019ve made as a parent and as a human being, now shared in my latest best-selling book, LIVE LOVE NOW: Relieve the Pressure & Find Real Connection with Our Kids<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am equally grateful to receive messages, like this one, from people who are currently reading my new book and finding hope in my life's work:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHi! I have never tried to reach an author before, but I have just finished reading Live Love Now<\/a><\/strong>, and I cannot imagine not saying thank you for the gift that is this book. I have no doubt I was meant to read this book at this exact time in my life. You said that when your daughters were young, you were in a dark and depleted state. I have been in a dark and depleted state. Some of the stories you shared about your own kids when they were small were so similar to mine that I wondered how you knew. But mostly, I felt less alone and hopeful. The afterword in your book was so powerful and was exactly what I needed. I\u2019m tired of hating myself. I cried and re-read that hopeful message 3 times. It\u2019s like I needed your message for myself, just as much as I needed it for the sake of my children. I just wanted to at least try to convey some of the gratitude I feel and the profound effect this book has had on me. I am FULL of hope and encouragement.\u201d -J<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear ones, change begins with one small step to live love. Begin with this guide<\/a>. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u00a0 When you\u2019re living a distracted life, every minute must be accounted for. You feel like you must be checking something off the list, staring at a screen, or rushing off to the next destination. And no matter how many ways you divide your time and attention, no matter how many duties you try and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5752,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[1079,1076,49,1078,1080,1077,1075],"gutentor_comment":592,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/IMG_7462.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1fUJF-1tm","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5664"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5664"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5664\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}