Skip to main content

Lessons from a Child: Fun with sticks

It's a gorgeous day and I want to stretch my legs and clear my head in the fresh air.

And my son has a new hobby. Just in time for spring.

He has traded his little blue snow shovel for a couple of sticks and twigs. With his sticks, he scrapes at the ground, bangs on the porch posts and fence railings, and pokes at the melting snow piles. He LOVES playing with sticks!

It turns out that sticks are almost everywhere. And the places you can't find sticks naturally, my son imports them. Despite my attempts to the contrary, sticks (and twigs) can now be found in the living room, the car, the grocery store, and my shoes. "Sticks go outside," I say repeatedly. On a weekly basis, I'm removing a sufficient number of sticks from our dwelling and vehicle, enough to make a small campfire.

When we head out the door, he goes right for the sticks and then over to the fast-disappearing snow mound to make patterns in the snow. And due to his new found obsession with sticks, my daily walk is virtually a thing of a past.

So I am forced to find a balance between patience and impatience, a harmony between allowing and accomplishing, a peace ... oh, who am I kidding? It's driving me nuts!

Just when I'm itching to really get a good walk in, he finds a stick and proceeds to stand there playing with sticks (for hours, if I let him). Ugh, ugh, ugh.

Transitions with a toddler strikes again!

But how do I know if what I'm giving him is enough? And by "enough", I mean understanding, compassion, and playtime with sticks.

I try to stand where he stands.

From his point of view, he gets imprisoned in a stroller for the duration of Mommy's walk. Plus the urge to play with sticks is strong and almost undeniable.

After all, playing with sticks seems to be an activity loved by most children, especially boys. [I have a theory that this fascination with sticks is leftover from cave man days when men carried big sticks in order to protect themselves from attack (possibly from a saber tooth tiger). And my little cave boy and other little cave boys are living from that particular genetic memory.]

From my point of view, I n-e-e-d a walk. Emphasis on the need.

So I make sure he has snacks, water, and attention. Plus, we take turns pointing out fun stuff like dogs and cats and the occasional squirrel. And we usually make a stop at the playground and park (where there are plenty of sticks). And he gets other opportunities during the day to play with sticks.

So (just like all relationships) we work to find a compromise and soothe the caveboy and his mommy. *smile* And most days, we are finding fun with sticks.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Q & A: Will our session be a conversation with spirit loved ones?

Q: What happens during a mediumship reading? Will it be a conversation between me and my spirit loved ones? A: Each reading is unique, so I never know what to expect during a reading. As a medium, I open myself with the highest and best intention to receive information from your spirit loved ones. Once we establish contact with a spirit loved one and have established their identity, we can engage them in conversation and ask them questions. Many times, a reading is an opportunity to chat with your family and extended family and maybe a few of your closest friends. It can be a special time for reunion and a sharing of memories. It can be a chance to say "hello" or "I'll see you again" or "I love you". Perhaps it will be a time for making amends and apologies. Or it can be an opportunity for closure and explanation. Or it can a time to receive guidance and opinions from those you trust in Spirit. Or it can be a confirmation of your own experiences with s

Timeframe for spirit contact

Q: My mom just died unexpectedly last week. Is it too soon for me to try to make contact with her through you? I vaguely remember someone telling me that they're not "available" right after they pass? Is there a general timeframe? Please let me know. Thank you. A: There is no official wait time before establishing communication with a spirit loved one. I have noticed some spirits are ready to communicate immediately and other spirits take longer. Some mediums suggest a six month time period. I feel this is a good timeframe for many clients because by then they have processed some of their grief and are not in a desperate space. There is a difference between being ready and being needy. It just depends on the client and the spirit. Trust your own soul regarding this. When you are ready, you just know. What a blessing it is that you know you will connect with your mother's spirit in divine right timing and that love never dies. If you have a general question whose answ

Your job during a mediumship reading

If you are the person who is receiving a mediumship reading and desiring spirit contact, you have a very important job --- CONFIRMATION. This means confirmation either by your own personal knowledge or thru the personal knowledge of another person known to the spirit. During the course of the mediumship reading, you can confirm the information that you know to be true. And some information may require validation after the reading with friends or other family members who are privy to this certain info. Here are some examples of ways in which a spirit may try to validate who they are: The spirit's personality traits or physical characteristics may be described. This is part of what I call the Essence of Spirit . Most spirits are willing to share how they passed with the medium. Sometimes the spirit will give names very clearly or just the initial. Often spirits will give important dates of reference to further validate themselves. They have been known to mention other family members,